Wittmann, 100 Hügel, Riesling Trocken 0.75L 11.5%, 2021 vintage; Wittmann, Spätburgunder, Rotwein Trocken 0.75L 12.5%, 2018 vintage; The Wittmann family has been involved in viticulture in the village of Westhofen in Rheinhessen since the 17th century. The family boasts 15 generations and some 350 vintages of winegrowing experience. They have been bottling their own wines since 1921. Today the winery is run by father Günter, his wife Elisabeth, son Philipp and his wife. Philipp serves as cellar master and oenologist at the winery, and also served as a member of the board of directors of VDP Rheinhessen from 2005 to 2019. Westhofen is a thoroughly winemaking municipality, so there are nearly 790 hectares of vineyards around the village, some of which are farmed by the Wittmanns. The terroir is quite diverse, with soils composed of clayey marl, loess, clay or weathered limestone. Today, Wittmann has four large vineyards to rely on: - Brunnenhäuschen - Aulerde - Morstein - Kirchspiel All of them are located on the Westhofen vineyard, adjacent to the first Gundersheim vineyard. As early as 1990, the Wittmann family decided to convert its viticulture to organic farming and thus became one of the pioneers in Germany. In 2004, another step was taken towards biodynamic farming. Not only is attention being paid to resource-saving methods, but the entire economy is being run in a cycle to put as little strain on nature as possible. The Wittmanns, for example, produce their own fertilizer to activate the soil. Consequently, the vineyard uses only manual harvesting. After harvesting, the grapes are re-selected and, after pressing, are discharged into the cellar using gravity alone. Fermentation is carried out using only natural yeast. 80 wooden barrels are ready to give the wines their final touch. The oldest dates back to 1890, and maturation takes place separately depending on the parcel. Estimated price: £280-360
