Page 3 - Tastings Journal - 2022 Hofgut Falkenstein

This year, with the largest tastings to date, the charitable aspect came together to support The Trotter Project in coordination with Robert Houde Wines, Front Line Foods, and World Central Kitchen.
From the memories of those old enough and fortunate enough to have tasted and remembered, the wines of Hofgut Falkenstein taste the way that Riesling did about 100 years ago, when Riesling prices rivaled Burgundy and were similar to First Growth Bordeaux. This taste of the past is achieved through traditionalist methods and production techniques with an incredible attention to detail implemented by the father and son team of Erich and Johannes Weber. The wines are neither chaptalized nor de-acidified, and they eschew the use of cultured yeasts and yeast nutrients. The Webers also avoid enzymes, fining agents, and a chamber filter press, and even prefer to bottle themselves cask by cask rather than hire a contract bottler. Furthermore, they never use artificial fertilizers, avoid herbicides, and are very conversative about over tilling their soils and encouraging too much rigor. All of this is focused on nurturing a single, short, low-yielding, and unarched cane on each vine that is allowed to express itself purely.