Katharina Wechsler

Katharina Wechsler’s enviable and organically certified Rheinhessen holdings are in what may be today’s most famous dry Riesling area (mostly thanks to local luminaries, Klaus-Peter Keller and Philipp Wittman), with highlights that include a big slab of the grand cru vineyard, Kirchspiel, and perhaps the most coveted of all recognized grand crus, Morstein. Located between these two extraordinary limestone vineyards, the upper section of another important cru, Benn, is also strongly calcareous and planted to Riesling. Many of the lower slopes are a patchwork of different varieties from which she concocts a range of fun yet serious “natural wines,” like her savory orange, full-carbonic Pinot Noir, bottle under her “Cloudy by Nature” label. The highlights in her fully organic range are of course the dry Rieslings raised in steel and imbued with ornate lines and a deep terroir drive. Katharina’s dry Rieslings challenge the greats of Germany and Austria’s very best growers with their vigor, tension, high energy, potent mineral characteristics, and salty, mouth-watering goodness.