Von Winning Sale 1-30-24

“The fact that this estate is crafting some of the very best dry wines in Germany is no fluke, rather a result of nearly obsessive winemaker Stephan Attman’s commitment to both dedicated cultivation of Deidesheim and Forst’s best sites and meticulous work in the cellar. Von Winning maintains some of the oldest parcels in Grosses Gewächs vineyards smattered across Forst, Deidesheim, and Ruppertsberg. Attman’s every decision is informed by great enthusiasm and experiences at estates in the Cote d’Or and abroad.” – Skurnik Wines
 
Von Winning makes some of the most profound white wines on the planet. The combination of old and incredible vineyard sites, meticulous winemaking and a commitment to producing only the finest wines yields exactly what you’d hope: white wines of depth and complexity, with grace and mineral power. The Rieslings are dry, but unlike some of their neighbors, powerful fruit isn’t the goal here. No, the Von Winning’s Rieslings offer floral and mineral flavors that are both intense and furtive.
 
But Riesling isn’t the only focus. Von Winning is one of the preeminent producers of Sauvignon Blanc in the world. Germany is of course not where you’d expect to find great Sauvignon Blanc, but the wines will make a believer out of anyone. These are rich, textural examples that move beyond varietal characteristics and into unique territory. Their closest comparison is probably the top Sauvignon of Friuli (eg, Miani, Ronco del Gnemiz), or the very best estates in Austria.
 
Farming in their vineyards scattered around Forst, Deidesheim, and Ruppertsberg is minimal-input, much like the gentle winemaking, and the estate is practicing organic. The wines are fermented and some are aged in neutral oak of various formats, imparting a depth and richness to the wines without sacrificing precision. We’ve long-adored these wines in the shop, and we know that you will, too.
 
The GGs:
 
Von Winning Jesuitengarten Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $119, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Jesuitengarten GG is located on the slope just below Ungeheuer in Forst and has sandstone, limestone and basalt in the soil. The wine ferments naturally in 500l oak barrels and stays 1,5 years on the lees. Piquant, noble reduction and deep layers of fruit. Our rarest GG!”
This rarity is rarely reviewed. No review available for the 2021 vintage. 2019 review provided for reference.
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96-98 points “The 2019 Jesuitengarten GG displays an intense lemon color and opens with a rich, intense and refreshing bouquet of lemon oil intermixed with vanilla and yeasty aromas and notes of crushed stones and blossoming flowers. It is less fruity and aromatic than the Pechstein and even the Kirchenstück but subtle and very complex at the same time. Full-bodied, fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a crystalline, piquant and firmly structured yet highly refined Jesuitengarten with density, power, tension and a persistent tropical stone fruit aroma—think of mangos but also passion fruit and even ripe peaches. It is very salty and has a serious, very sustainable finish. A spectacular GG for von Wining yet leaner and tighter than the famous neighbors from the Pechstein and Kirchenstück. The finish is not just salty but also enormously long and vibrating.”
 
Von Winning Kalkofen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $74.50, that’s $77.78 at 5% off and $67.05 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95-96 points “The 2021 Kalkofen Riesling trocken VDP. Grosse Lage comes from the plateau above Deidesheim and owes its density and complexity to 65-year-old vines growing on sandstone and limestone. The must is fermented spontaneously in 500-liter oak barrels, and the wine is maturing on the lees. The brilliantly clear and radiant sample opens with a deep, intense and elegant, still oaky but complex and fruit-intense bouquet that gives rise to the highest hopes. Rich and intense but also fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, mineral and textured Kalkofen that obviously wants to be a Meursault or Montrachet yet with the weapons of Riesling and also Buntsandstein. Whatever it is, this is an excellent and promising Kalkofen whose development and capacity I’d love to follow for at least a decade. The wine is dense and tight but also fresh and juicy and provided with very fine tannins and sustainable mineral acidity. Highly promising indeed. Tasted as a barrel sample at the domaine in Deidesheim in November 2022.”
 
Von Winning Kieselberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $74.50, that’s $77.78 at 5% off and $67.05 at 10% off, 17 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2021 Kieselberg Riesling trocken VDP. Grosse Lage comes from a plateau above Deidesheim with sandstone and limestone in the soil. Fermented spontaneously in 500-liter oak vats and still maturing in them, the barrel sample shows a clear, elegant and savory nose of bright and ripe fruit aromas intertwined with oaky and yeasty notes. Creamy textured and very elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, tight and saline-finishing Riesling with fine and grippy tannins and lingering salinity and mineral tension. It’s still very young but worthy to be cellared for at least a decade. Tasted at the domaine in November 2022. To be released sometime next year.”
 
Von Winning Langenmorgen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $74.50, that’s $77.78 at 5% off and $67.05 at 10% off, 15 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93-94 points “The 2021 Langenmorgen Riesling trocken VDP. Grosse Lage is grown in a cool area up by the forest on a light sandstone soil. It fermented spontaneously in 500-liter oak barrels, in which the wine is aging until today. The nose shows a brilliantly clear, fresh and flinty, very elegant GG with herbal and soil-driven, flinty-scented intensity and the coolish aromas of slow-ripening Riesling. Very elegant and refined on the palate, this is a round, lush and salty-savory Riesling classic that reveals a long, tight, saline and finely grippy finish. As per the vintage, this is a rather lean, straightforward but tensioned Riesling that will show its class in the years to come. Tasted as a sample at the domaine in November 2022. To be released sometime next year.”
 
Von Winning Pechstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $119, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.10 at 10% off, 1 bottle in stock now
Falstaff Magazine 94+ points “[Translated] A scent of candied orange peel, aniseed cookies, kumquats, also flint. The palate structure invites you to chew with crisp, floury phenols, ripe acidity and tactile minerality that run closely along a slightly viscous body. The wine has density and fire, but also grace.”
 
Von Winning Pechstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $119, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The intensely citrus-colored 2021 Pechstein Forster Riesling GG is cultivated on sandstone, limestone and basalt soils. Fermented spontaneously in 500-liter-oak barrels and aged on the lees for 1.5 years, the wine opens with a noble, intense and elegant bouquet with ripe citrus aromas and flinty notes. The wine is saline, fresh and vital, intense and linear and carried by fine acidity and delicate citrus aromas to a long and aromatic, very stimulating and lemony finish. It has 13% stated alcohol and lots of energy and mineral tension. Natural cork.”
 
Von Winning Ungeheuer Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 1 bottle in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “Pure, clear, fresh and oaky on the deep, intense and elegant nose, von Wininng’s 2018 Ungeheuer GG “VDP. Grosse Lage” is sweetish, round and all too charming for my personal tastes, but it’s elegant, refined and persistently long on the complex and promising finish. Fine tannin grip and orange peel flavors on the finish. Tasted in Deidesheim, December 2019.”
 
Von Winning Ungeheuer Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 5 bottles in stock now
Falstaff Magazine 94 points “[Translated] New wood, mirabelle plum, yellow plum on the nose. In the mouth there is an enormous concentration, extract sweetness and tactile minerals compete with the acid for dominance in the mouthfeel, the alcohol is disciplined, the concentration goes hand in hand with great length.”
Terry Theise note “Again marked acidity – not Mosel acidity, but notable for a Pfalz GG. As you know the site is (relatively) large at 29 hectares, and parcels vary. In general we find a kind of Pfalz template, generosity, contained power, a sort of rustic elegance, and a savor that can feel meaty (or mushroomy for y’all vegetarians and vegans out there). Ungeheuer is like Riesling in the form of eggplant. I worried about this already-strong wine in the militant vintage, but I needn’t have. It smells wonderful. Essence of Ungeheuer! And for the first time, the structure of the wine assimilates its alcoholic power and pushes ripeness into the framework of the explosively juicy texture…Tasted again four days later, this is the ‘cooperative friend’ among the GGs. It’s a ‘presence’ for sure, but an easygoing one. The wine geek might say it’s ‘simpler’ than its GG siblings. I would say, it’s a better chum. Plus it’s not just yummy; it’s fucking yummy.”
 
The QbA and Above Wines:
 
Von Winning Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $19.50, that’s $18.53 at 5% off and $17.55 at 10% off, 1 bottle in stock now
Winery note “The grapes come from the valleys below Forst and Deidesheim. It is clear, crisp and fruit-driven, and has a lot of depth, density and spiciness.”
Importer note “Limestone, Loam, & Red Sandstone. Fermentation & Elevage: Stainless Steel.”
 
Von Winning Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 90 points “Von Winning’s 2021 Deidesheimer Riesling trocken comes from the best sites of Deidesheim and ferments for the most part in large oak barrels. The wine opens with a clear and very elegant bright fruit aroma intertwined with substantial, slightly iodine-inflected soil, herbal and lemony notes. Full-bodied, intense and even slightly creamy on the palate, this is a vivacious, elegant and mouthfilling Riesling with vibrant acidity and a finely grippy, tart and saline finish. 12% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure.”
 
Von Winning Winnings Riesling, Pfalz 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $20.90, that’s $19.86 at 5% off and $18.81 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 89 points “Redolent of nectarine and grated lemon zest, with notes of orchard blossom and honeysuckle. Lively and fresh-tasting, offering a lightly spiced finish. — Aleks Zecevic”
 
Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 90 points “Assertive acidity links all the elements in this white, which features notes of spice and tropical fruit. Hints of orange and grapefruit sneak in as the wine concludes with a tangy, mouthwatering finish. — Aleks Zecevic”
“The 2021 Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling trocken VDP. Erste Lage opens with a clear and aromatic bouquet of lush passions fruits. Round and enormously fresh or even classy on the palate, this is a medium-bodied, tight, fresh, reductive and well-structured dry Riesling that still needs some months to calm down a bit. 12.5% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure.” -Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
 
Von Winning Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2021 Haardter Herrenletten Riesling trocken VDP. Erste Lage offers a deep, pure and concentrated, almost rich but very elegant and even refined bouquet of iodine and ripe fruits. Full-bodied, intense and remarkably concentrated on the palate, this is a dense, saline and refreshingly mineral Riesling from the Letten Keuper soils in Haardt. The finish is long, fresh and complex and reveals fine tannins. This is another excellent, age-worthy 1er cru from Stephan Attmann that deserves the highest interest. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork.”
 
Von Winning Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $36, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2021 Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling trocken VDP. Erste Lage shows a deep, intense and elegant, well balanced and quiet bouquet of ripe white fruits and coolish earthy soil notes of crushed stones and hints of iodine. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, elegant and textured Riesling with serious tannins that intermingle with the saline acidity yet need more time to blend in with the fruit. The oak vat might have been newer or smaller here than in the other Erste Lage Rieslings of the vintage, but the richness and substance of the Reiterpfad can afford it. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in November 2022.”
 
Von Winning ‘I’ Sauvignon Blanc, Pfalz 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $36, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Falstaff Magazine 91+ points “[Translated] Noticeable smoky notes with ripe fruit, gooseberry, apricot and currants, also floral notes, green walnut. Relaxed on the palate with juice and a gentle, slow flow, slim and with good concentration, spice, apricot, gooseberry and citrus notes that also determine the finish. Young, with potential.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 90 points “Predominantly sourced in a densely planted plot in Deidesheim’s Paradiesgarten and with the juice completely vinified in wood for one year, the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc I opens with a clear, intense and tropical as well as finely nutty and flinty nose. Rich and mouthfilling on the palate, this a full-bodied, seriously structured and potent Sauvignon that is still young and should benefit from further bottle aging. There are fine but firm tannins on the tight yet aromatic finish. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork stopper.”
 
Von Winning ‘II’ Sauvignon Blanc, Pfalz 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $19.90, that’s $18.91 at 5% off and $17.91 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Falstaff Magazine 89+ points “Aromas of grass cuttings and pepper, reductive tones, gooseberry. A slender palate, lots of juiciness, well-integrated acidity, slightly salty aftertaste on the finish. A refreshing, savoury varietal wine.”
Importer note “Multiple vineyards in Deidesheim, mostly Paradiesgarten, but there is also fruit from Deidesheimer Herrgottsacker and Kallstadter Steinacker. Soil: sandy loam, red sandstone, basalt, & löss. Fermentation & Elevage: Fermented entirely in stainless steel.”
 
Von Winning ‘II’ Sauvignon Blanc, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Vinepair 94 points “The small wine growing village of Deidesheim in the Pfalz wine region of Germany is known for some pretty prestigious wines. The Riesling grape obviously dominates here along with other grapes such as Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Sauvignon Blanc is a sliver of the land under vine but Weingut von Winning enjoys working with it. They approach this grape like all other more prominent varieties in the region. This unique wine is slightly herbaceous with jalapeño and ginger notes. The palate carries all of these aromas over from the nose balanced by exceptional harmony between juicy peach notes and bracing acidity.”
 
Von Winning ‘Lime Rift’ Sauvignon Blanc, Pfalz 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $28, that’s $26.60 at 5% off and $25.20 at 10% off, 5 bottles in stock now
VinopolNote: 90% stainless steel, 10% used barrel. Grapes grown on limestone soils and mostly from Deidensheim.