OUR WINES FROM THE RHEINGAU
ERSTE LAGEN AND GROSSE LAGEN
The grapes for all our white wines and rosé wines as well as our red wines, sparkling wines and sweet wines come exclusively from VDP-classified Ersten Lagen (Premier Crus) and Grossen Lagen (Grands Crus) in the Rheingau. These classified sites are characterised by two essential characteristics: On the one hand there are optimal growing conditions and on the other hand only the highest quality wines have been produced over a long period of time.
With the Lorchhäuser Seligmacher we are the only winery in the Rheingau that manages this VDP.GROSSE LAGE® and also produces a VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS® (Grands Crus) from this vineyard site. The FAZ awarded this special Rheingau wine the "Best White Wine in Germany, 2016 GG".
With our Assmanshäuser Höllenberg GG and our Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg GG we also have two other VDP.GROSSE GEWÄCHSE®, which come from the best Pinot Noir vineyard sites in the Rheingau.
FROM A GREAT SITE DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO RESULT A GROSSES GEWÄCHS
However, it is also due to our high quality standards that we only produce a VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHSE® from a VDP.GROSSE LAGE® when the year produces truly great qualities. For this reason, a Grosse Lage does not always have to produce a Grosses Gewächs.
For example, we do not use our VDP.GROSSE LAGE® Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen to produce a VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHSE®, but deliberately use the grapes partly for our basic Riesling "The Daily August". This is primarily due to our philosophy of producing only premium wines - and that already in the price entrance.
What applies to our Grosse Gewächse (GG) also applies to our wines from our Erste Lage vineyards. We do not always decide to bottle an Erste Lage vineyard site as a pure VDP.ERSTE LAGE® wine. For the most part, our wines are blends from different vineyard sites. Each site is vinified separately in the wine cellar and then blended to a multi-layered and harmonious wine - according to our own individual taste. Our Pinot Noirs are therefore almost exclusively blends from the best VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN® and VDP.GROSSEN LAGEN®, which therefore we are "only" allowed to market as VDP.GUTSWEIN.
"TODAY, AN INCREASE IN QUALITY CAN ACTUALLY ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH A RETURN TO TRADITION: WORKING IN THE VINEYARD WITH THE SOIL, VERY LOW YIELDS, HEALTHY FRUITS - THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO PRODUCE SUSTAINABLE, LONG-LASTING AND GREAT WINES."
SUSTAINABLE, LONG-LASTING AND GREAT WINES
It is also due to the idea of sustainable wines that both our Rieslings and our Pinot Noirs always carry some sugar, a sweet core, because this benefits their longevity and their maturing potential. We are not going along with the current fashion of keeping everything extremely dry, knowing very well that this polarises us and that our wines cannot be everybody's darlings in their youth - and we don't want that either.
Great wines prove themselves in their maturity. And that is what the name "August Kesseler" will continue to stand for in the future: For wines whose talents are clearly recognisable in their earliest youth, but which develop to their full potential over the years. Real wine personalities who tell great stories at the height of their long lives. You can find an overview of our wines as well as individual descriptions in our online shop.
