2023 Weingut Bischel Scharlachberg Riesling GG

95 pts DD Import
Historic vineyard pedigree, concentrated fruit and serious structure make this a standout among the Bischel range.

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Sale price$135.00
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In stock, ready to ship
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Description

White Wine Collection of the Year
"Christian and Matthias Runkel continue to fly high"
- Eichelmann 2020

”One of the finest winegrowing estates anywhere in Rheinhessen.”
- Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) - the invitation-only elite of German viticulture

The historic Scharlachberg vineyard south of Bingen produces a particularly concentrated, flinty expression of Riesling, and we’re delighted to have the GG alongside Hundertgulden in our shipment.

First documented in 1248, Scharlachberg’s steep terraces sit on ancient quartzite and slate, with iron-rich soils that turn scarlet in summer. The warm, rocky slopes drain freely, limiting vine growth and producing tiny berries packed with flavour.

Christian and Matthias Runkel pick late, working through the vineyard by hand in several passes. A short soak on skins precedes gentle pressing, followed by natural yeast fermentation in stainless steel and eight months on lees.

It needs a little air at first, then apricot, lime and orange peel emerge alongside flint and wild herbs. There’s lovely ripe fruit and creaminess through the palate, followed by firm grip, bright acidity and a long, stony finish.

We’d give this a decant now or put a few bottles away to develop. Historic vineyard pedigree, concentrated fruit and serious structure make this a standout among the Bischel range, with remarkable value for Grand Cru-level dry Riesling.

”The Rising Star of Northern Rheinhessen.”
- Stephan Reinhardt (The Wine Advocate)

”One of the best producers in the country of premium wines.”
- Wein-Plus.eu

”Crystalline and compelling expressions of limestone.”
- JancisRobinson.com

 

The remarkable and historic GG-classified Scharlachberg vineyard

95+ points - "Concentrated, intense nose with balsamic and stony savouriness, spice, Bingen garigue, apricot, dried lime peel. Blends the spice and minerality of the site in an athletic format, dense, tightly woven extract, tension, depth, length." - Falstaff

95 points - "For a riesling GG from a site with a very stony soil, this has a lovely ripeness, even creaminess on the front palate. Then a serious crystalline minerality comes through, building to quite a climax in the very long, citrusy finish. Drink or hold." - JamesSuckling.com

93 points (Excellent) - "Quite firm, distinctly fresh-plant-like to herbal, also smoky citrus-stone fruit scent with fatty nuances, a hint of pak choi, suggested curry, white and green pepper, and clear minerality. Ripe-juicy, dense fruit with lively, fine acidity and grip, smoky, nutty, and distinct, finely spicy plant aromas, again pak choi, persistent on the palate, a hint of yellow spice and bacon on the palate, sweet core, much chalky-salty minerality, good depth, very good, juicy and spicy, again a bit plant-spicy finish." - Wine Plus

Vineyard

The Scharlachberg, located south of Bingen, has been one of the Grand Cru sites on the Rhine for centuries. First mentioned in a document in 1248 with the name "vocatur Scarlachen" ("called Scharlach"), it occupies a historically prominent role among German Riesling sites.

The grapes come from our top vineyard Binger Scharlachberg. Quartzite & slate from the Devonian characterise the soil in this warm terraced steep slope. The high iron content of the soil makes the earth glow "scarlet" in summer. The water permeability of the poor rocky soil reduces the vigour of the vines and thus promotes the ripening of extremely small-berried, aromatic Riesling grapes. The Rieslings from this site are often characterised by an aroma reminiscent of flint.

Vinification

The very late harvest of the highly ripe grapes is staggered by hand. For optimal extraction of the aromatic substances, the grapes are gently crushed in the winery and left to stand in their own juice for a few hours. After gentle pressing, the juice ferments with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks. After 8 months of yeast storage, the wine is bottled in the summer.

Tasting notes

At first very closed, mineral notes of flint and wild herbs appear, with increasing aeration the complete potential of exoticism unfolds - sweet apricots, limes and citrus fruit. Very concentrated in the mouth, with hints of orange zest paired with stone fruit. Very long, structured finish with a powerful finish.

Analysis

alcohol: 13 % vol.; residual sugar: 3.7 g/l; acidity: 7.2 g/l

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Riesling
Country Germany
Region Rheinhessen
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure DIAM Cork

Weingut Bischel

Two brothers, a family estate and some outstanding vineyard sites have made Weingut Bischel one of Rheinhessen’s most exciting emerging producers. Christian and Matthias Runkel have led the winemaking since 2006, building on the Appenheim estate their grandfather founded in 1968.

They brought home some impressive experience too. Matthias trained at Keller and New Zealand’s Neudorf, while Christian worked at Tim Adams in the Clare Valley and Backsberg in South Africa, before the pair turned their attention to the family vineyards.

The real draw is the land they farm. Their top Rieslings come from three distinctly different and remarkably old (up to 900 years!) sites: limestone-rich Hundertgulden, quartzite-based Scharlachberg and the volcanic soils of Heerkretz, giving them an unusually broad range of vineyard characters to explore.

Organic farming, carefully controlled yields and picking at the right moment underpin the approach, with use of wild yeasts, lees and old wood where necessary adding texture and complexity. Riesling is a major focus, but the brothers are equally serious about the Burgundy varieties, with freshness, structure and the ability to age central to their ambitions.

Bischel joined Germany’s prestigious VDP growers’ association in 2019, followed by Eichelmann’s award for the country’s Best White Wine Collection in 2020. This is a modern star of Rheinhessen, and tremendous value for money for Rieslings (and others) of this calibre.

Christian and Matthias Runkel in the ancient grosse lage vineyard - Scharlachberg. Weingut Bischel Collection

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