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I only carry one Mosel Riesling. Why? Because after trying Sybille Kuntz Riesling, I see no need for another. The wines are high quality, carefully produced and ageable. Yes, ageable as in you can open Sybille Kuntz Riesling that is ten years old (or older!) and it will have improved!
So a little bit about the queen of Mosel Riesling...
Sybille Kuntz is a top notch Riesling winemaker from the town of Lieser along the Mosel. She and her family have been living in Lieser for more generations than she can count. From wine production to cask and barrel making, the Kuntz family has always been tied to the wine business. So it is no surprise that Sybille became a winemaker.
In 1981, Sybille attended college in Wuppertal where she studied business administration. To help finance her education, she sold her family's wine. As demand for the wine grew, Sybille realized that she couldn't keep up the supply, so she started selling Riesling from other winemakers. Unhappy with the quality of the wine from the other estates, she decided to produce her own wine. And her wine would be better.
Half of the vineyards (approx. 12 hectares in total) that make up the Sybille Kuntz estate are located in the single vineyard “Nieder-Helden”, a steep slope on the Mosel. The location on the river is important because the river acts as a mirror and reflects the sun back onto the slopes which dramatically improves growing conditions. This historic site has pre-phylloxera vines that were planted in the 1920's on the steepest part of the slope. The plot produces smaller yields, but the quality of the Riesling is incomparable. The grapes have more minerality and provide a better structure for the wine.
The wines are organically produced and have been since before organic wine was certifiable, and before it was used as a marketing gimmick. During a recent visit, Sybille told me how adamant she is with her belief that wine, good wine, is produced in the vineyard and not in the cellar. I think great wine is produced by Sybille Kuntz, the queen of Riesling.
