Sybille Kuntz

Mosel, Germany

ORGANIC - BIODYNAMIC - MINIMAL INTERVENTION

We’re venturing into the new, albeit well-charted German territory with Sybille Kuntz’ range of pristine biodynamic wines. Their introduction to our portfolio is as fortuitous as it was highly anticipated. We are enthralled by the calibre of new age producers like Sybille Kuntz who are shaking up the oh-so -traditional, noble Mosel. So, when presented with the opportunity to sample her remarkable Trockenbeerenauslese, we were awestruck by the breadth and depth her wines offer.

Sybille is one of few German winemakers who’ve mastered their estate and in doing so, captured the Mosel’s essence so vivid- ly. In the space of 30 years, Sybille Kuntz has gained renown and is praised for producing polished Rieslings. In 2011, Sybille and her husband Markus expanded their seminal dry-style Riesling range, to a full-encompassing portfolio of wines that en- capsulate the whole spectrum of traditional German viticulture, from Qualitätswein to Trockenbeerenauslese.

Organic since 1990 and organic certified (“Bio-Weingut”) since 2013, Sybille composes with strictly small yields produced from vines averaging 45 to 80 years of age. The consecrated ground of their Niederberg-Helden vineyard in the town of Lieser, situated in the middle of the Mosel, is at the heart of their production, which has been certified biodynamic since 2016.

This selection is what we feel is the most representative of Sybille Kuntz’ status as a high profile Mosel producer, and the few back vintage releases we have secured are a testament to that.

2022 SYBILLE KUNTZ KABINETT RIESLING TROCKEN – MOSEL, GERMANY

Kabinett forms the basis of the superior Qualitätswein mit Prädikat category, as defined by the German Wine Law. It is produced mainly from old vines grown in the steep vineyards of Pauls Valley, a side valley carved by the River Moselle some thirty-five thousand years ago. Today, it is part of the celebrated single vineyard site Lieser Schlossberg. It is harvested a little later than the Qualitätswein to produce this dry, aromatic and elegant wine. Sybille has propelled herself to the top of Riesling production in the German wine industry. In 2016, Weingut Sybille Kuntz was Demeter certified biodynamic. Pale greenish gold. Intense hazelnuts on the nose. Real richness on the front palate with some lemon flavours and a hint of soapiness. At the moment it’s a very youthful sweet-and-sour mix without those two elements being integrated. Wait! Though it’s admirably persistent. 16++/20 pts. Jancis Robinson, Jancis Robinson

2022 SYBILLE KUNTZ SPATLESE RIESLING TROCKEN – MOSEL, GERMANY

Spätlese (“late harvest”) is, as its designation indicates, picked late, usually at the end of October, in the Niederberg-Helden Einzellage in Lieser. The old vines, planted in the middle of the last century, are partly ungrafted. The grapes benefit from a long ripening period, hence a higher sugar content and aromatic potency at harvest. An archetype of density and expression, this is a truly excellent wine. Composed and well-integrated nose with massive extract and interest. Positively hums with life; you can almost sense bees humming in the wine – metaphorically of course! Pure fruit and real depth. Great weight on the palate despite the relatively low alcohol. Great food wine. Very long indeed. This should last and last. 17/20 pts. Jancis Robinson, Jancis Robinson

2022 SYBILLE KUNTZ QUALITATSWEIN RIESLING TROCKEN – MOSEL, GERMANY

The Qualitätswein Riesling is the first to be harvested. The plots are in Lieser and Kues, planted with young vines of up to 40 years of age. The slope has 30-50% inclination, the soil is a mix of slate and a little bit of quartz. As part of their biodynamic practices, they cultivate a spontaneous cover crop between rows, which sustains a healthy microbial balance. Low yield is assured through the pruning of the vines to 8–10 buds/vine. At the end of June, shortly after flowering, manual shoot thinning is performed along with leaf and secondary shoot removal from the fruit zone

2019 SYBILLE KUNTZ AUSLESE RIESLING FEINHERB – MOSEL, GERMANY

The 2019 vintage is described as the second consecutive summer of the century. It produced fantastic Rieslings with exceptional aging potential. The warm growing season, which was marked by dry periods during the summer, provided outstanding ripening conditions. The cool autumn nights during the harvest ensured excellent aroma profiles and balanced, resolved acidity levels. Due to the high temperatures during the summer months, the berries stayed rather small and had a lower juice to skin ratio, thus a great intensity across all quality levels up to Beerenauslese. “Pale gold with green highlights. Hints of golden syrup on the nose – really rather luscious.” Jancis Robinson