Wechsler is one of the rising stars of Germany, and after returning home and getting inspired by the magnificence of the Keller lineup, Katherina dove in head first. Her family had vines in one of the same vineyards which Keller did, Westhofener Kirchspiel, and she was determined to elevate her family bottling to the Keller level. Katherina has accomplished what she set out to do and, in 2020, made her best example yet. To give some perspective, Keller's bottling of 2020 Westhofener Kirchspiel is around $300 and received a lower score from James Suckling at 96 points, showing Wechsler's example is the ultimate buy and a serious contender from the Rheinhessen. This is a giant slayer and is an exceptional buy for the category not to miss.
A wine that we were turned on to recently, and with the upsurge of interest in dry Riesling, we thought it would be nice to offer something new and off the beaten path from our regular offers. Wechsler is owned and operated by Katherina Wechsler, a young and capable winemaker working in the Rheinhessen, which is one of Germany's hottest spots for producing dry wines with a selection of fantastic holdings in some of the top "grand cru" vineyards sharing many of the same holdings as well as a similar style to the great Klaus-Peter Keller, who was a major inspiration for Katherina and would help shape the style of her wines. While Katherina was around vine growing at a young age, she had little interest, and her father grew grapes for bulk wine production, which isn't all that exciting. It wasn't until years later, after studies in Paris and in Stuttgart (close to Westhofener), that she felt drawn back home, and when she returned, she became obsessed with the pursuit of great wine and went to wine school while working at Weingut Gutzler.
Katherina grows a variety of grapes, but the true magic is from the Riesling, and this one comes from one of the top sites, Kirchspiel. This vineyard opens like an amphitheater towards the Rhine, facing South and southeast. It is particularly sheltered from the wind with a 30% steep slope that heats up quickly and retains heat. Soils here are clay marl with strong, skeletal limestone deposits. Katherina has three different parcels here, which, when combined, give fantastic complexity. 2020 is a sensational example of this wine, with its outstanding ripeness of fruit, mineral presence, and lengthy dry finish. This is an exceptional example of Dry Reisling and one that comes in at slightly lower pricing than some of the other dry German favorites. We have low pricing on this excellent effort, and if you have been following Trocken or Grosses Gewachs Riesling, this is one to try.
James Suckling 97 pts! Alone, the fragrant stone-fruit, citrus and delicately exotic aromas (fruits and flowers!) are compelling. However, this also has stunning concentration and near-perfect ripeness, but the salty minerality is the dominant side of this dry riesling masterpiece! Breathtakingly fresh finish that doesn’t want to stop! Drink or hold. Screw cap.
2020 Weingut Wechsler Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Trocken
2020 Weingut Wechsler Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Trocken
$49.99
$49.99
Wechsler is one of the rising stars of Germany, and after returning home and getting inspired by the magnificence of the Keller lineup, Katherina dove in head first. Her family had vines in one of the same vineyards which Keller did, Westhofener Kirchspiel, and she was determined to elevate her family bottling to the Keller level. Katherina has accomplished what she set out to do and, in 2020, made her best example yet. To give some perspective, Keller's bottling of 2020 Westhofener Kirchspiel is around $300 and received a lower score from James Suckling at 96 points, showing Wechsler's example is the ultimate buy and a serious contender from the Rheinhessen. This is a giant slayer and is an exceptional buy for the category not to miss.
A wine that we were turned on to recently, and with the upsurge of interest in dry Riesling, we thought it would be nice to offer something new and off the beaten path from our regular offers. Wechsler is owned and operated by Katherina Wechsler, a young and capable winemaker working in the Rheinhessen, which is one of Germany's hottest spots for producing dry wines with a selection of fantastic holdings in some of the top "grand cru" vineyards sharing many of the same holdings as well as a similar style to the great Klaus-Peter Keller, who was a major inspiration for Katherina and would help shape the style of her wines. While Katherina was around vine growing at a young age, she had little interest, and her father grew grapes for bulk wine production, which isn't all that exciting. It wasn't until years later, after studies in Paris and in Stuttgart (close to Westhofener), that she felt drawn back home, and when she returned, she became obsessed with the pursuit of great wine and went to wine school while working at Weingut Gutzler.
Katherina grows a variety of grapes, but the true magic is from the Riesling, and this one comes from one of the top sites, Kirchspiel. This vineyard opens like an amphitheater towards the Rhine, facing South and southeast. It is particularly sheltered from the wind with a 30% steep slope that heats up quickly and retains heat. Soils here are clay marl with strong, skeletal limestone deposits. Katherina has three different parcels here, which, when combined, give fantastic complexity. 2020 is a sensational example of this wine, with its outstanding ripeness of fruit, mineral presence, and lengthy dry finish. This is an exceptional example of Dry Reisling and one that comes in at slightly lower pricing than some of the other dry German favorites. We have low pricing on this excellent effort, and if you have been following Trocken or Grosses Gewachs Riesling, this is one to try.
James Suckling 97 pts! Alone, the fragrant stone-fruit, citrus and delicately exotic aromas (fruits and flowers!) are compelling. However, this also has stunning concentration and near-perfect ripeness, but the salty minerality is the dominant side of this dry riesling masterpiece! Breathtakingly fresh finish that doesn’t want to stop! Drink or hold. Screw cap.
