German Kabinett Riesling Wines

Kabinett is a unique wine style whose chief virtue is lightness. What other white wine packs so much flavour, sheer energy and joy into such a slender package? Kabinett is the lowest ripeness level of Riesling and is made from grapes that are just-ripe, or ripe but with high acidity. Early harvest is decisive in creating this style. The exception are elevated, ventilated sites that can be harvested later at high acidity and moderate sugar levels. The best Kabinetts dance on tip-toe with weightless bodies that nonetheless burst with flavour. Young Kabinetts offer aromas that can range from herbal/floral (chervil, chamomile, yarrow, jasmine) via mineral (petrichor, wet pebble, slate) to a panoply of fruits – from green apple and pear via riper peach and apricot all the way to mango – always underlined by citrus notes, from lime to blood orange. Young Kabinetts are among the world’s most seductive Rieslings; mature Kabinetts are marvels of lightness with notions of herb tincture, dried citrus and stone. Kabinetts can be trocken (dry), feinherb (off-dry) or halbtrocken (medium-sweet). These range between 10-40g/l of sugar and 7-12.5% of alcohol. Some are fully sweet, at 50-80g/l of sweetness. The best examples come from the coolest regions, i.e. Mosel/Saar/Ruwer, Nahe and Rheingau and have wonderful elan and energy.