2020 Weingart Riesling Trocken, Mittelrhein

The steep formidable slopes of the Mittelrhein are dotted with abandoned vineyards, the hazard and cost of viticulture here have pressed the Mittelrhein’s production into decline – the region itself only maintains 430 planted hectares today. Florian Weingart’s basic philosophy to vineyard approach is “based on selection of grapes in the best sites, and extremely low yields, sometimes well below 50 hectoliters per hectare.” He also believes in high density planting to force the vines to grow extremely deep roots. His 4.5 hectares are divided between 3 sites on the Bopparder Hamm, a south facing stretch with an incline of 50-70% along the Rhein where a kink forces the river to flow west to east. Here slate is layered with various sedimentations and volcanic ash spattered during eruptions of Eifel Mountain over 10,000 years ago. The Engelstein vineyard sits on old terraces that Weingart and his cousin own, in the easternmost corner of the Hamm. Here Weingart has completely converted his