Germany — wine

Rheinhessen Wine Region

Rheinhessen is Germany's largest wine region by area — a vast, rolling agricultural landscape between the Rhine and Nahe rivers. Once synonymous with the industrial mass-produced 'Liebfraumilch' that defined (and damaged) German wine's international image in the 1970s and 80s, Rheinhessen has undergone a remarkable quality transformation. The 'Rheinhessen Renaissance' of the 2000s–2010s, led by young producers working with Riesling, Silvaner, and increasingly Burgundy varieties on the limestone and loess-loam soils of the Roter Hang (red slopes) above Nierstein, has produced wines that now compete with Germany's finest.

Year Rating Notes
2022 Good quality with ripe, expressive Riesling and excellent Silvaner from limestone soils; the Rheinhessen Renaissance continues to produce compelling wines at all price points
2021 Germany's great vintage of the decade — Rheinhessen Riesling and Silvaner from the Roter Hang showed extraordinary mineral depth and structure; Keller's G-Max is considered a historic wine
2020 Outstanding year with concentrated, structured Rheinhessen Riesling; limestone and red slate sites performed exceptionally; wines built for long ageing
2019 Classic German vintage with good ripeness and structure; Roter Hang Riesling showed characteristic mineral precision and aromatic complexity