2023 Weingut von Winning Deidesheimer Riesling Trocken

Von Winning‘s estate bottling draws on parcels surrounding Deidesheim, one of the Mittelhaardt’s most storied villages, where colluvial soils of weathered sandstone, limestone-rich clay, and buried gravel terraces lend both structure and lift to the fruit. The estate, formerly Weingut Dr. Deinhard, has been steered since 2007 toward a philosophy that marries Burgundian winemaking sensibility—barrel fermentation, extended lees contact, minimal intervention—with the site-driven convictions of the VDP. Vines for this cuvée sit on gentler slopes than the estate’s grand cru sites, benefiting from the moderating influence of the Haardt forest, which shields the vineyards from westerly weather and helps sustain the long, even ripening period Riesling requires to achieve phenolic maturity without sacrificing acidity.

The 2023 opens with a nose that is at once floral and mineral: white blossom, quince, and fresh lime pith mingle with a chalky, wet-stone undertone that signals the limestone component in the soil. On the palate, the wine reveals von Winning’s characteristic textural weight—a result of barrel-fermented lots and lees stirring—yet it never loses its backbone; a firm, salivating acidity threads through the mid-palate, carrying flavors of green apple, yellow plum, and a persistent saline minerality. The finish lengthens with grip that recalls fine phenolic texture rather than sweetness, a hallmark of the estate’s dry Riesling program.

2023 was a vintage marked by a cooler, more classical growing season than its immediate predecessors, yielding wines with pronounced acid retention and modest alcohol—qualities that favor patient cellaring. Over the next several years, expect the citrus and orchard fruit to recede gradually in favor of tertiary notes: beeswax, dried herbs, and a deeper mineral resonance. This is a wine built to reward those willing to wait, though its precision and energy make it equally compelling in youth.