Scharzhofberger Riesling
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2042
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Asian cuisine, pan-seared scallops, roasted pork belly
✨ Technical Specifications
The legendary Scharzhofberg hill is widely regarded as one of the greatest white wine vineyards on earth. Situated in the chilly Saar valley, a tributary of the Mosel, its steep, south-facing slope of weathered grey and red Devonian slate acts as a natural solar collector. Cultivated since Roman times and historically managed by the Benedictine Abbey of St. Marien in Trier, this grand cru terroir produces Rieslings of unmatched precision and crystalline purity. Van Volxem's parcels in this mythical vineyard yield wines of extraordinary depth. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in traditional large oak fuder casks, the Scharzhofberger Riesling balances the Saar's signature electric acidity with a rich, textured, and deeply mineral profile, showcasing wild herbs, white peach, and salty, flinty undertones.
🍾 About the Producer
Perched dramatically above the Saar River in Wiltingen, Weingut Van Volxem is one of Germany's most heralded historic wine estates. Originating as a Roman villa complex with viticulture traced back to the 3rd century, the property operated as a Jesuit monastery winery established in 1743 before being acquired post-secularization by Brussels brewer Gustav van Volxem. In late 1999, Roman Niewodniczanski acquired the estate and orchestrated an ambitious renaissance, revitalizing storied steep-slope vineyards and inaugurating a state-of-the-art gravity-fed winery atop the Wiltinger Schlossberg. Managing approximately 85 hectares on Devonian slate across top-tier VDP.Grosse Lage sites—such as Scharzhofberger, Wiltinger Gottesfuß, Volz, and Ockfener Bockstein—the estate works predominantly with old, ungrafted Riesling vines. Practicing sustainable, non-interventional viticulture, cellar master Dominik Völk champions spontaneous wild-yeast fermentations and extended aging in neutral oak and stainless steel. Van Volxem produces intensely mineral, low-alcohol, dry-leaning Rieslings and refined sparkling Sekts that revive the aristocratic, turn-of-the-century prestige of traditional Saar wines.
🍇 Grapes
Riesling