Summary
Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt is one of the most tradition-rich and largest private Riesling estates on the Mosel. Its history reaches back to 1349, when the noble von Kesselstatt family is first associated with winegrowing. Today the estate farms around 46 hectares in some of the most famous sites of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer – a rare distinction, as hardly any other estate is at home in all three river valleys at once. With a grape share of about 97 % Riesling, Kesselstatt is an almost pure Riesling estate whose wines range from precisely dry to nobly sweet. Among its crown jewels is the Graacher Josephshöfer monopole.
History
The estate's roots reach back to 1349, when the noble von Kesselstatt family is first documented in connection with vineyards. Over the centuries the family built up one of the most important vineyard holdings in the region – a process boosted by the secularisation around 1803, when numerous former monastic sites passed into secular hands and in part came to Kesselstatt.
The estate's recent history is shaped by the Reh family: in 1978 Günther Reh acquired the tradition-rich estate. From 1983 to 2016 his daughter Annegret Reh-Gartner led the estate and made it internationally known as a Riesling ambassador. Since 1999 the estate has had its seat at Schloss Marienlay in the Ruwer valley. Today a team of directors runs the business; the director is Dr. Karsten Weyand, and David Nicolay is responsible for the winemaking as cellar master.
Location & Terroir
What makes Kesselstatt special is its presence in three river valleys at once. On the Middle Mosel lie world-class sites such as the Wehlener Sonnenuhr and the walled Graacher Josephshöfer; on the Saar the estate owns a share of the legendary Scharzhofberg; on the Ruwer Kesselstatt farms sites around Kasel.
Common to these vineyards is the Devonian slate, which stores warmth, forces the vines to root deeply and gives the Riesling its unmistakable minerality. The steep, often south-facing slopes and the region's cool climate ensure slow ripening, fine aromatics and the vibrant acidity that makes the wines so long-lived.
Style & Philosophy
Kesselstatt is consistently committed to Riesling and to the signature of individual sites. The wines are clear, filigree and origin-driven; the focus is on the precise rendering of each terroir rather than on technical effects. The range covers the entire spectrum of Mosel Riesling – from dry estate and village wines through the great dry single-vineyard wines to the classic fruity-sweet and nobly sweet Prädikat wines such as Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese.
Alongside the dominant Riesling, a small share of Pinot Blanc rounds out the programme. Sustainable farming and careful handwork in the steep sites are the basis of the quality.
Notable Sites & Wines
The heart of the estate is its holding in the three river valleys. Among the best-known sites are:
- Graacher Josephshöfer – walled monopole site near Graach, owned exclusively by the estate
- Wehlener Sonnenuhr – one of the most famous Riesling sites in the world
- Scharzhofberger on the Saar – world-class Riesling from an iconic site
- Kaseler Nies'chen and further sites on the Ruwer
- Wiltingen sites on the Saar
These wines regularly rank among the sought-after Mosel Rieslings and are prized internationally.
Awards
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt has long ranked among the established top producers of the Mosel and is regularly listed in the leading wine guides. Under Annegret Reh-Gartner the estate gained great international visibility as an ambassador of Mosel Riesling. To this day the name Kesselstatt stands for origin-driven Riesling from some of Germany's best sites – and for the rare chance to experience the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer from a single source.