Within Germany's endless, steep vineyards of Riesling hides an unsuspecting location for the best Pinot Noir in the country. While many vineyards grow Pinot Noir and a handful of producers that would qualify as excellent, August Kesseler sneakily pulls in at the top of the list. Kesseler wines are scarce in the US and is not a name that gets thrown around when talking German wine, but after tasting through an almost complete lineup, including multiple vintages, it definitely should be. August Kesseler is in the Rheingau in Assmannhäusen, nestled in a bend within the Rhine River, and is the most suited to Pinot Noir compared to any other area in Germany. With a gradient of 45%, Hollenberg is one of the steepest sites in the Reingau and the ultimate expression of German Pinot Noir. Here on the steep slope planted on sparse slate soils that help retain heat, the vines fight for nutrients to survive, creating a lower-yielding yet concentrated and complex fruit. This is incredibly structured and deep, with outstanding potential, easily capable of fifteen to twenty years in the cellar. Many Pinot Noirs that we have tried from Germany, mainly the Mosel, have difficulty finding the balance of minerality and fruit, but that is not an issue here. Hollenberg is seamless, elegantly showing ripe fruits that shift between red and blue with notes of spice and slightly smoky minerality. This is somewhat Vosne-Romanee-esque, and while the tannins could use some time to integrate more, this is incredibly fresh and juicy and would not be out of place in a lineup of Grand Cru Red Burgundy. After making the top 100 list of 2024 from both James Suckling and Vinous, it's clear that this is something special, and without a doubt, this is the best example of The Hollenberg Pinot Noir of all time from Kesseler. It's also a rare find, and right now, these are the only bottles available outside the winery!
James Suckling 99 points! #40 on James Suckling Top 100 of 2024! "This breathtaking German red wine is as great as almost any pinot noir on Planet Wine. Great black cherry fruit and a superabundance of spicy aromas and forest floor character make the nose absolutely compelling. Enormous concentration and no less finesse on the super-silky, medium- to full-bodied palate, where the noble hint of sweetness sucks you into the deep core of this great masterpiece. Almost endless impeccably balanced finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025."
Vinous (Anne Krebiehl) 97 points #70 on Vinous Top 100 of 2024! "The 2022 Pinot Noir Assmannshausen Höllenberg Grosses Gewächs emerges from un-grafted vines that are as much 85 years old planted in the mica schist of the Höllenberg. The nose is initially shy, but air allows fine glimpses of smokiness, crushed, ripe mulberry and wild black cherry. The palate is fine and fresh right away, a picture of serene elegance and fine-boned freshness. It makes the mouth water with a flavor that is so reminiscent of tiny, very ripe wild cherries. Simply exquisite aromatically, it's all held in a structure that is as graceful, soaring, weightless, and firm as a gothic turret, with the smoothest, ripest tannins. This is a monument to German Pinot Noir. Wow. (Bone-dry)"
2022 August Kesseler Höllenberg Pinot Noir Großes Gewächs
2022 August Kesseler Höllenberg Pinot Noir Großes Gewächs
Within Germany's endless, steep vineyards of Riesling hides an unsuspecting location for the best Pinot Noir in the country. While many vineyards grow Pinot Noir and a handful of producers that would qualify as excellent, August Kesseler sneakily pulls in at the top of the list. Kesseler wines are scarce in the US and is not a name that gets thrown around when talking German wine, but after tasting through an almost complete lineup, including multiple vintages, it definitely should be. August Kesseler is in the Rheingau in Assmannhäusen, nestled in a bend within the Rhine River, and is the most suited to Pinot Noir compared to any other area in Germany. With a gradient of 45%, Hollenberg is one of the steepest sites in the Reingau and the ultimate expression of German Pinot Noir. Here on the steep slope planted on sparse slate soils that help retain heat, the vines fight for nutrients to survive, creating a lower-yielding yet concentrated and complex fruit. This is incredibly structured and deep, with outstanding potential, easily capable of fifteen to twenty years in the cellar. Many Pinot Noirs that we have tried from Germany, mainly the Mosel, have difficulty finding the balance of minerality and fruit, but that is not an issue here. Hollenberg is seamless, elegantly showing ripe fruits that shift between red and blue with notes of spice and slightly smoky minerality. This is somewhat Vosne-Romanee-esque, and while the tannins could use some time to integrate more, this is incredibly fresh and juicy and would not be out of place in a lineup of Grand Cru Red Burgundy. After making the top 100 list of 2024 from both James Suckling and Vinous, it's clear that this is something special, and without a doubt, this is the best example of The Hollenberg Pinot Noir of all time from Kesseler. It's also a rare find, and right now, these are the only bottles available outside the winery!
James Suckling 99 points! #40 on James Suckling Top 100 of 2024! "This breathtaking German red wine is as great as almost any pinot noir on Planet Wine. Great black cherry fruit and a superabundance of spicy aromas and forest floor character make the nose absolutely compelling. Enormous concentration and no less finesse on the super-silky, medium- to full-bodied palate, where the noble hint of sweetness sucks you into the deep core of this great masterpiece. Almost endless impeccably balanced finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025."
Vinous (Anne Krebiehl) 97 points #70 on Vinous Top 100 of 2024! "The 2022 Pinot Noir Assmannshausen Höllenberg Grosses Gewächs emerges from un-grafted vines that are as much 85 years old planted in the mica schist of the Höllenberg. The nose is initially shy, but air allows fine glimpses of smokiness, crushed, ripe mulberry and wild black cherry. The palate is fine and fresh right away, a picture of serene elegance and fine-boned freshness. It makes the mouth water with a flavor that is so reminiscent of tiny, very ripe wild cherries. Simply exquisite aromatically, it's all held in a structure that is as graceful, soaring, weightless, and firm as a gothic turret, with the smoothest, ripest tannins. This is a monument to German Pinot Noir. Wow. (Bone-dry)"
