Spätlese trocken has a yellow label symbolizing for when the berries are fully yellow and completely ripe in the steep slope site Niederberg-Helden.
Spätlese (“late harvest”) is, as its designation indicates, picked late, usually at the end of October, in the Niederberg-Helden Einzellage in Lieser. After one or even several pre-picking passes the main harvest starts in the top site of Niederberg-Helden. It is steep, and the sun beats down on the mountain. Here harvesters work in steep slopes of up to 70% incline that descend south to the Moselle river. The harvest boxes slide down with them on the slate floor from post to post, held by the knees of the harvesters. The boxes solely contain golden-yellow Riesling grapes, from which the best dry Riesling, the Spätlese, is made.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Clear yellow with golden hues
Nose: Aromas of ripe fruit and a touch of beeswax along with fat limey notes.
Palate: The palate quite weighty, hinting at nectarine, but before that can take any hold, acidity sweeps in, cutting this with salts and pithy lemon into a long finish. A Riesling hardly to be topped in terms of density and expression. A dry and truly exquisite wine.
Grape Varieties: 100% Riesling
Awards: 89pts – Wine Spectator
History of Sybille Kuntz
While there are other women winemakers in Germany, including Eva Clusserath at Angsar Clusserath, Frau Knebel at Knebel, and Theresa Breur at Breuer’s Estate, none of the other talented women above have gained or hold complete control of their Estates’ Rieslings like Sybille Kuntz.
The Estate is in its 30th year, and has gained prominence and critical acclaim for their refined-drier style of Riesling. In 2011, Sybille and her husband Markus went from producing wines in their own dry style, to crafting a portfolio of six wines that represent the traditional quality of German viticulture, from Qualitätswein to Trockenbeerenauslese.
Sybille has spearheaded herself to the top of Riesling production in the traditional male-dominated German wine industry. In 2016, Weingut Sybille Kuntz was Demeter certified biodynamic. These wines are now recognised as some of the greatest dry Riesling in the world and there is no doubt that Sybille and Markus will continue to pioneer both in their region but also with what is one of the worlds greatest grape varieties.
