von Hövel - Scharzhofberg Riesling Kabinett 2020 (750ml)
Price: $52.99
| Producer | von Hövel |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer |
| Varietal | Riesling |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 69353 |
| Size | 750ml |
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von Hövel Description
Konz could be seen as a quaint, sleepy valley village in the Saar, surrounded by rolling vineyard hills, pastures and small houses with one modest church steeple–though it is anything but old-fashioned when Max von Kunow is around. Since assuming the estate in 2010, Max has nearly doubled von Hövel’s vineyard holdings, converted the estate to organic practices (including an intensive compost program) and he is in the process of transforming not only the viticulture, but also the style of the wines. In fact, a dry range really did not exist at this estate until Max arrived because his father did not prefer them. The wines destined to be fruity are less opulent than in vintages past; they are more crystalline and crunchy.
That’s a lot of change for such an iconic Saar estate in a short period of time, but Max is like a Tasmanian devil, wanting everything to evolve as quickly as possible. He seems up to the challenge! “Saar wines could be the best riesling on planet earth,” Max will tell you directly without any hint of irony or sarcasm.
von Hövel holds 2.8 hectares of vines in the famed Wiltingen vineyard of Scharzhofberg, making them one of only 5 ‘significant’ landowners at this site. Max von Kunow farms this vineyard with a focus on expressing the more “salty, mineral style” of Scharzhofberg, with modest residual sugars and pointed acidity, typically framed by spice ripe fruit. The wine is fermented with native yeasts and aged in stainless steel.
Vinous: 90 Points
The 2020 Riesling Scharzhofberger Kabinett makes quite a contrast with the corresponding Hütte. Offering dominant scents and flavors of pit-tinged white peach backed by restrained sweetness, and a subtly creamy texture, it finishes with an influx of almond and gently soothing richness. The 7.5% alcohol guarantees levity, and somehow 46 grams of residual sugar do not come off as pronounced sweetness.
