Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Kabinett Trocken Red Seal 11.5%

Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Kabinett Trocken Red Seal is a slightly off-dry Riesling, but with a drier finish (trocken = dry) than a standard kabinett. The wines of Schloss Johannisberg have a colour coding system, the Red Seal or Rotlack designates a kabinett wine, whilst the yellow seal or Gelblack, for example, designates a QbA. The various classifications were used as the basis for the new German wine classification of 1971.

Schloss Johannisberg is one of the most famous German wine estates. It is located in the Rheingau wine growing region, and wine has been made at the site for over 900 years. Schloss Johannisberg is a 35 hectare single vineyard wine estate (Einzellage) and can also lay claim to being the oldest Riesling estate of the world. It has been planted exclusively with 100% Riesling since 1720.

Schloss Johannisberg is a single vineyard designation in its own right and one of a handful of German vineyards that do not have to display a village name on the label. The vineyards consist of a loam-loess topsoil over Taunus quartzite. The stony, gravelly soil is great at retaining the daytime temperatures and acts as a temperature buffer. The winery is also famous for claiming to have invented Late Harvest Wine and is the home of quality designations for German wine.

Schloss Johannisberg made the first Spätlese level Riesling in 1775, followed by an Auslese wine in 1787 and an Eiswein in 1858. The grapes for the Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Kabinett Trocken Red Seal are hand-harvested from steep, south-facing vineyards. Yields are kept low, and there is careful bunch selection in the vineyard. Whole bunches of grapes are pressed and undergo a slow, long, cool fermentation.