2023 Weingut von Winning Win Win Riesling
Wine Profile & Character
Weingut von Winning, based in Deidesheim, has built its modern reputation on reviving the grand estate traditions of the Mittelhaardt while filtering them through a distinctly Burgundian lens of barrel fermentation and lees contact. Win Win, the estate’s entry-level dry Riesling, draws on a mosaic of parcels scattered across the Pfalz‘s Mittelhaardt and surrounding communes, where soils shift between weathered sandstone, loess-loam, and pockets of limestone. This patchwork sourcing allows von Winning to construct a wine of proportion rather than singularity — one that reflects estate philosophy more than a single vineyard’s fingerprint. Farming follows sustainable, low-intervention principles, with yields kept moderate to preserve fruit concentration even in a warm, generous vintage like 2023.
In the glass, Win Win opens with a nose that moves from white peach and quince toward crushed stone and a faint whisper of elderflower, gaining textural interest with air rather than fading. The palate is where von Winning’s cellar hand shows most clearly: a broad, almost creamy mid-palate, product of partial spontaneous fermentation and time on lees, is held in check by the piercing, chalky acidity typical of Pfalz dry Rieslings. Citrus pith, ripe apple, and a saline mineral undertow trade places through the mid-palate, with the fruit never allowed to tip into sweetness. The finish carries a gentle phenolic grip, a structural signature rather than a flaw, lending the wine a savory, food-ready seriousness beyond its unassuming name.
The 2023 vintage in the Pfalz delivered a longer, cooler ripening period than recent years, preserving acidity while still achieving full phenolic ripeness — conditions that suit Win Win’s dual identity as both immediate pleasure and a wine capable of short-term development. Though designed for early enjoyment, a well-stored bottle will reward two to four years of patience, during which the citrus brightness will settle into deeper orchard-fruit and mineral tones. This is a Riesling built for the table now, but one that will not embarrass anyone who forgets a bottle in the cellar.
Sourced Profile
Compiled from producer and published descriptions, not a firsthand tasting by our team.
Appearance: Pale straw-gold with a hint of green at the rim, the wine pours brilliantly clear with a fine, steady sheen.
Aromas & Bouquet: Aromas of white peach, quince, and green apple lead, layered with crushed limestone and a subtle floral note of elderflower. With aeration, a faint smoky minerality and citrus zest emerge, giving the nose real dimension for an entry-tier bottling.
Palate & Structure: The entry is broad and slightly creamy, a result of lees contact, before racy, chalky acidity tightens the structure through the mid-palate. Flavors of ripe apple, lemon pith, and wet stone interweave, with a saline undertone that keeps the fruit honest and dry. The texture is more substantial than the wine's playful name suggests, showing real cellar craftsmanship.
Finish & Longevity: The finish is medium-long, closing with a gentle phenolic grip and a lingering mineral salinity that begs for another sip — and another course.
Food Pairings
Pair with pan-seared trout or scallops, where the wine's acidity and saline finish complement delicate seafood. It also excels alongside dishes with a touch of richness or spice — think Alsatian tarte flambée, roast chicken with lemon and herbs, or a mild green curry, where its texture and fruit-acid balance provide both contrast and harmony.
Cellaring & Ageability
Best enjoyed from 2024 through 2028, with peak drinkability in its first two to three years. Expect the citrus-driven brightness to soften into rounder orchard fruit and deeper mineral tones with a bit of bottle age.