Westhofener Moorstein Riesling Spatlese
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Glazed roast duck with spiced plum reduction, Thai green curry with prawns, aged washed-rind cheeses like Munster
✨ Technical Specifications
Originating from the premier south-facing limestone slopes of Morstein in Westhofen, this Spätlese captures the tension between residual sugar and intense geological minerality. The vineyard sits atop deep limestone-marl colluvium layered over fractured limestone bedrock, which forces vine roots deep into the moisture-retaining strata. Fruit is hand-selected late in the harvest to achieve full ripeness without compromising natural acidity. Fermentation occurs spontaneously via ambient yeasts in traditional neutral oak Stück and Doppelstück casks, followed by extended maturation on the fine lees to buffer sweetness with textural depth and savory saline complexity.
🍾 About the Producer
With ancestral roots in Westhofen documented to 1663, Weingut Wittmann stands as a monumental force in the modern renaissance of Rheinhessen viticulture. Situated in the rolling Wonnegau district, the estate encompasses prestigious VDP Grosse Lage terroirs including Morstein, Kirchspiel, Brunnenhäuschen, and Aulerde. These steep, sun-drenched parcels feature deeply layered upper limestone and clay-marl colluvium over fractured subterranean limestone bedrock, fostering remarkable minerality and tension. Guided by cellarmaster Philipp Wittmann and his wife Eva Clüsserath, alongside his pioneering parents Günter and Elisabeth, the estate spearheaded organic cultivation in 1990 before achieving full Demeter biodynamic certification in 2004. In their vaulted 1829 cellar, hand-harvested fruit undergoes gentle pressing and spontaneous native-yeast fermentation in traditional large neutral oak Stück and Doppelstück casks. Renowned for chiseled, dry Rieslings and textural Burgundian varieties, Wittmann produces cellar-worthy benchmarks defined by intense saline depth, purity of fruit, and aristocratic limestone energy.
🍇 Grapes
Riesling
🍷 ABV
7.5-9%