Rheinhessen, Germany

It’s been more than two years since we first connected with the young and witty Carsten Saalwächter based out of Ingelheim in the Rheinhessen.

Visiting Carsten earlier this year and spending time with him reassured that behind his talent and impressive debut vintages is a person full of conviction to bring (back) Sylvaner to the stage of truly world class wines from Germany and beyond. The style is different to any Sylvaner we ever tried – precise and textural with a strong saline backbone.

But there is more. Given the plethora of fossile limestone-rich soils in and around Ingelheim his interpretations of Chardonnay, Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder have become new benchmarks in Germany in just a short period of time.

On the reds Carsten works with Pinot Noir from Assmannshausen – a historic winemaking village in the neighbouring Rheingau dating back almost 1000 years. Here slate is the name of the game yielding reds with singular longevity and perfume.