Emrich-Schönleber Riesling Trocken '22

In Monzingen, on the western edge of the Nahe winegrowing region, Emrich-Schönleber makes dry Rieslings that shine alongside the world’s greatest examples of the style. It’s a relatively cool climate for winegrowing, where sites with abundant sunshine, optimum slope exposure, stony soils and warm microclimates offer the best conditions for high-quality wine. Although not the best-known winemaking region of Germany, the Nahe, named for the Nahe River, a tributary of the Rhine, is west of the Rheinhessen and south of the Rheingau, and is separated from the Mosel Valley by a forest. It is often described as being in a transitional zone between maritime and continental climatic influences. It also has the driest winegrowing climate in Germany.

Winemaking has been part of the Schönleber family’s history since the mid-18th century, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that the family focused on becoming solely a winegrowing estate, expanding the vineyard area from about two hectares to ten and allotting more space to the Riesling variety. Today, Emrich-Schönleber farms about 20 hectares of vineyard land. Werner Schönleber is vineyard manager, and Frank Schönleber is owner and winemaker.

The Estate Trocken is great introduction to Emrich-Schönleber’s classic style. Made solely of Riesling and in a bone-dry style, the wine is vinified in stainless steel, preserving the variety’s aromatic freshness and minerality. We love this wine for its playful interplay between bright citrus notes, white flowers and a flinty quality that keeps it complex. This is why we love Riesling.