Proidl Riesling Ried Ehrenfels Kremstal Reserve Erste Lage
WHY WE LOVE IT
- This vineyard site, first officially mentioned in 1437 – certainly the steepest and most barren in the area – was no longer cultivated after 1945 and therefore fell into oblivion. In 1988 Franz Rroidl acquired parcels on the hillside, to get rid of scrub and forest and to plant it once more with vines.
- Influenced by the soil and not by extravagant cellar technique; that made this a winning proposition.
- Ried Ehrenfel Kremstal Riesling has won many awards from well-known wine critics.
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Elaboration: The physiologically fully-ripened grapes are harvested by hand in several passes at the end of October and beginning of November. A portion of the grapes is destemmed and left on the skins for 10–12 hours of maceration. The leisurely fermentation with ambient yeasts in stainless steel promotes a multilayered expressivity. Bronzite, marble, paragneiss & amphibolite give the wine its great complexity and individuality. After fermentation, extended maturing on the lees in a large wooden cask before bottling at the end of August.
Tasting Notes: A concentrated and dense, almost introverted wine made from perfect clusters. Constructed without any ornamentation or hastiness, for connoisseurs who like to leave the vinous beaten-path and go exploring.
PRESS
2021 – 94+ Wine Advocate
2022 – 94 Wine Advocate | 92 Wine Enthusiast | 91 Wine Spectator
2023 – 96-98 Vinous | 97 James Suckling | 97 Falstaff
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Proidl family have been in Seftenberg since 1650, when they fled their native Bremen (in present-day Germany) during the Thirty Years’ War. By 1738 they were established in the wine trade, and the family business, Weingut Proidl, is now run by Franz and Andrea Proidl, along with their son and winemaker Patrick Proidl, who represent the ninth and tenth generations of the Proidl family in the business. Their sweeping and steep vineyards total twenty-five hectares of vines in the most notable Kremstal single vineyard sites: Ehrenfels, Hochäcker, Pellingen, Pfenningberg and Rameln.