Weingut Richard Richter - wine estate in Winningen/Mosel

2020 Winninger Uhlen Laubach Riesling Reserve dry GG from the estate Richard Richter

The Richard Richter wine estate in Winningen

'Whoever drinks wine knows us. Whoever enjoys wine understands us. Whoever loves wine will find us.'  These words best describe what began in 1838 with the founding of a wine shop by Carl Friedrich Richter, and which has been maintained and expanded generation after generation with intelligence, expertise, and intuition. The Thomas and Claus-Martin Richter families have expanded the terrain and refined the methods further, now in their sixth generation. Today, the Richter estate in Winningen is one of the most award-winning wineries on the Moselle. The winery is a member of the renowned 'RING MOSEL', an association of small and medium-sized family wineries with a down-to-earth approach that embraces everything from grape production and winemaking to marketing. The RING stands for distinctive, delicate, and mineral wines from the Moselle, Saar, and Ruwer. Particularly strict requirements and production criteria apply to wines bearing the designation 'Großes Gewächs'. These Grand Cru wines, made from Riesling or Pinot Noir, come from the best steep slopes and are characterized by good structure and exceptional aging potential. The harvest is limited to 50 hl/ha. Furthermore, selective hand-harvesting and rigorous sensory testing by a neutral expert committee are mandatory.

Made by HAND, felt with the HEART

Nothing better expresses how the cousins ​​Thomas and Claus Martin Richter define their work than the following statement: 'The work high up on the steep slopes and deep in the cellar is always also a source of insight. Because there is no better example than wine to demonstrate what is possible. Between tradition and modernity, daring and creativity, we create quality and individuality beyond global homogenization to seduce and make hearts beat faster. Depth, purity, truthfulness, clarity, honesty, sincerity, immediacy, complexity, authenticity, and multifacetedness are just a few of the terms we find when thinking about our wines. It is important to us that natural fruit is combined with vintage-typical acidity and perfectly integrated minerality. Selective hand-harvesting and meticulous work in the cellar are just two of the strict quality criteria to which we are happy to commit.'

What you inherit from your fathers, acquire it to possess it

This wise biblical verse from the Book of Sirach perhaps best expresses the dedication and creativity with which Thomas and Claus Martin Richter manage the wine estate and have continually advanced it. Their statement, which is more than just lip service, proves that wine is more than just a beverage and that craftsmanship can also have a soulful quality. Here, winemaking is lived and breathed.

'Only where work is enjoyable can success be felt. This work is neither attitude nor calculation, for between machine and myth, the hands are the central tool. They are the opposite of work at a screen, not fast food for the mind, but part of the unfolding of the human essence. With their hands, humans shape matter, and when spirit and skill come together, we call it craftsmanship. It is the interplay of creativity and understanding of materials; it is a formative experience similar to the art of creating wine on steep slopes which show their hands. This craftsmanship will survive the industrial revolution as well as the digital revolution. High touch instead of high tech! For where hand and soul are connected with reason and nature, they always aim for the good.'

All of this is reflected in the wines. Even the first of six wines clearly demonstrates the focus of the Richter wines: vineyard characteristics and vintage typicality.

The Moselle means winegrowing under the most difficult conditions

The vineyard terraces around Winningen are the most extensive in the entire Moselle region. Up to 29 terraces stacked on top of each other and kilometers of dry stone walls with 130 arches and 600 stairways crisscross the vineyards. Nowhere else is viticulture so scenically impressive, yet so incredibly challenging for the winemakers. The best site is the 'Winninger Uhlen' (image in the header); with a gradient of almost 65%, it is one of the steepest vineyards in Germany. The landscape along the lower Moselle has a particularly favorable microclimate, which is why not only the finest wines grow here, but also animals that are otherwise only found in southern regions, such as the Apollo butterfly and the green lizard, thrive here.

2023 Winninger Brückstück Riesling Kabinett dry

A silvery, light mineral scent. Paired with nuances of green apple, anise, curry, and privet. A sense of optimism. Someone's turning on the light. Fresh as a mountain spring. You can and should take large sips of this wine. Don't dissect it. This Riesling simply wants to make fun, to be there, here and now. It practically sparkles. Leaves no time for questions. Its laughter is infectious. A touch of white pepper, a touch of acidity, a hint of residual sweetness. No resting. Always on the go. A Riesling like a dewy spring morning. Pure drinking pleasure!

2023 Terra – V Terrassen, Riesling semi-dry

The third wine, matured with a touch of residual sweetness, promises pure drinking pleasure: finely chiseled even in the aroma. Delicate, almost a little shy, the aromas rise to the nose. Like a promise. Fruit, spice, and earthiness, freshness and vibrancy are balanced. Peach and nut, mint and wood smoke, honey and slate. What a ticket to the taste. Dream wine or wine dream? It doesn't matter. Endless drinking pleasure. Bright green-yellow notes. It's moving forward. It's sprouting, blooming, and turning green. Aromas of apple, peach, pineapple, nut, and horseradish, with spicy components of sage and mint. The taste winds upwards like a serpentine. The wonderful interplay between sweetness and acidity ensures both a delicate glaze and constant vibrancy. After every bend, another ooh and aah. Finally, we've reached the summit. Looking back: A magical wine!

2023 Winninger Röttgen Terrassen Riesling dry GG

Riesling in a nutshell. This 'Grosses Gewächs' (Great Growth) clearly demonstrates that this grape variety embodies the terroir like no other. The wine plays with us like a cheeky young cat. Lively and full of spirit, but also unpredictable. Fresh, light green fruit nuances of lime, apricot, pineapple, and mirabelle plum tickle the nose, followed by green apple and spicy herbal notes of mint and tarragon. A wonderful interplay of acidity lets the aromas dance. It appears unbiased, somewhat idiosyncratic, and full of spirit. Its gaze is always forward. Silvery bright, like a mountain spring, always flowing. It is full of spirit and wild ideas. A wine with predominantly light tones of lime, fresh melon, fine minerality, nutmeg, and white pepper. You feel like you're discovering something new with every sip. Only after the second or third sip do you realize that it also has delicate, quiet moments, little hidden nooks for rest, before immediately going full tilt again. Endless drinking pleasure.

2023 Chardonnay dry

The next two wines prove that the Richters are more than just Riesling. The Chardonnay: The aroma is like a grab-bag. A cornucopia. You start smelling and are met with one surprise after another. Minerality in the foreground. Delicate fruit aromas of pear, quince, pineapple, and banana follow. Then it becomes spicier. Notes of sweetcorn, curry, and anise join in. The final touch is nuances of smoke and licorice. You can hardly wait to drink it. What smoothness. What fullness and harmony in the mouth. The trio of acidity, sweetness, and fruit is heightened to perfection. This wine plays in the Champions League. A powerful presence combined with wonderful playfulness, elegance, and smoothness make it taste round and creamy. We have a true entertainer in our glass. One who has mastered his craft. It pampers and flatters with aromas of honey and beeswax, radiating a pleasant warmth. But just when you think you've already settled in, it surprises with a light acidity that reveals new nuances. It doesn't let up, always stays on the ball. Maturity and elegance wonderfully combined with refreshing directness. Constantly yearning for more. The day is dawning. Full of anticipation. A wine like a beginning! Open to everything that comes. Great drinking flow!

2020 Pinot Noir Barrique dry

For many years, the cultivation of red wine varieties was prohibited on the Moselle. It wasn't until 1986 that cultivation of red wine varieties was permitted. Thank goodness, otherwise the following wine wouldn't have existed and we would have been deprived of a delicacy. Here is a wine in which you can practically smell the red. Elegance without airs and graces. Cherry red strawberry mouth. Hints of amaretto and, far back, a hint of smoke and bacon combined with dark chocolate and delicate mocha notes. A scent that makes you want to drink it. A seamless transition to the taste. Bright notes, a bit like a piccolo flute, open the palate. A great opening. The wine immediately commands our full attention. Fresh, crisp notes of sweet cherry and morello cherries. Provocative and stimulating. Great presence with plenty of punch on the palate. The subtle acidity is partly responsible for the successful balancing act between ripeness and freshness, earthiness and playfulness. It's surprisingly light, fresh and lively, transparent and straightforward. A motivator. A doer and a pack-the-pack with plenty of bite and grip. Subtle spicy notes of star anise, marzipan, black pepper, and cloves. The slight spiciness combined with the fruit keeps the wine in a perpetual state of suspension. A little grab bag. Blessed is he who gets to open it.

Riesling sparkling wine

In addition to the selection of excellent wines, the range also includes three hand-riddled Riesling sparkling wines from the estate's own vineyard in the flavors extra brut, brut, and dry, as well as a Pinot Noir Rosé sparkling wine, as well as a '2023 Freispruch Trauben Secco alcohol-free' a spicy soft drink with a rich, refreshing flavor. As an aperitif, it's a perfect alternative to sparkling wine.

Text: Horst Kröber; Photos as indicated, otherwise PR