Van Volxem Riesling »Alte Reben« trocken

In the glass

Summarised from the press reviews

Citrus peel on the nose, herbs such as camomile and yarrow, ripe yellow fruit and a smoky, mineral tone. The palate is dense and almost silky, carried by fine, crystalline acidity and a spicy slate drive; a Riesling with more substance than you would expect from a Gutswein.

Value for money

At around €18 to €20 this is no Großes Gewächs, but it is one of the least expensive routes to genuine Saar depth; anyone who knows the estate's single-site GGs will find their signature here at a third of the price.

Goes well with

Steamed fish, poached poultry or veal in a light sauce

The estate

After the French Revolution this former Jesuit estate in Wiltingen passed to the Brussels brewer Gustav van Volxem, and around 1900 it was among the names whose Saar wines traded at luxury prices. At the end of 1999 Roman Niewodniczanski, a scion of the Bitburger brewing family, took over the run-down estate, restored its historic name and systematically recultivated abandoned steep sites – among them Scharzhofberg, Gottesfuß, Volz and Kanzemer Altenberg.