Summary
Weingut Prinz von Hessen in Geisenheim-Johannisberg is one of those Rheingau estates where aristocratic history meets modern winegrowing. The property has belonged to the House of Hesse since 1957, and since 1969 it has been one of the founding members of the VDP. Across around 31 to 33 hectares, roughly 90% is planted to Riesling – the remainder spread over small parcels of Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Merlot. The range runs from dry Rieslings along the VDP pyramid to the noble-sweet Prädikat wines for which the Rheingau is famous. Since 2008 the estate has once again committed its premium Rieslings to large wooden casks.
History
The story of today's estate begins in 1957, when Landgrave Philipp of Hesse acquired a wine estate in the Rheingau for the Hessian House Foundation, at the time covering around seven hectares. Since then the property has remained in the hands of the House of Hesse without interruption – a continuity that has become rare in German viticulture.
Just twelve years later, in 1969, Prinz von Hessen was among the founding members of the VDP, the association of German Prädikat wine estates. From the outset, the estate sided with those producers who put origin and site ahead of volume. The logical continuation came in 1999 with the VDP vineyard classification: around 70% of the vineyard area was then rated Erstes Gewächs – the category from which today's Große Lage emerged. Few Rheingau estates carry such a high share of classified vineyards.
The most recent stylistic decision came in 2008, when the estate returned to the traditional large wooden cask for its premium Rieslings. Today Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse heads the owning house; the estate is managed by director Bärbel Weinert, with Sascha Huber in charge of the cellar.
Location & Terroir
The vineyards lie in the heart of the Rheingau, on the southern slope of the Taunus. This ridge is a geographical peculiarity: the Rhine turns west here, so the slopes face south and south-west towards the river. The vines catch sun all day long, while the broad surface of the Rhine stores warmth and releases it again. The result is a mild mesoclimate that gives the late-ripening Riesling a long, unhurried growing season – and, in autumn, the humidity from which noble rot and therefore great sweet wines arise.
The soils change over short distances between loess, loam and slate. The Winkeler Jesuitengarten, for instance, faces south and sits on deep, calcareous loess – a soil that holds water and gives wines body and length. Slate content in other parcels, by contrast, brings tautness and a cooler, saline note.
Style & Philosophy
Riesling in its full range stands at the centre. On the dry side the range follows the VDP pyramid: estate wine as a clear, accessible entry point, above it the village wine with the character of its community, and at the top the wines from the Große Lagen. For these premium Rieslings the estate has used large wooden casks again since 2008 – a vessel that does not taste of wood but gives the wine texture and ageing potential through minimal oxygen contact.
Alongside this, Prinz von Hessen keeps up the other great Rheingau tradition: noble-sweet Prädikat wines in the classic Auslese and Beerenauslese style, in which botrytis spice, fruit and cool Riesling acidity hold each other in balance. The small quantities of red wine from Spätburgunder and Merlot mature in barrique, usually for ten to twelve months.
Sustainability here is documented rather than merely claimed: the estate is certified EU organic and additionally carries the ‘Fair Choice’ label.
Notable Sites & Wines
The estate's holdings include some of the most resonant names in the Rheingau. Which of them are currently listed as VDP.GROSSE LAGE varies by source and vintage:
- Johannisberger Klaus – the home site around the estate itself
- Winkeler Hasensprung, Winkeler Jesuitengarten and Winkeler Dachsberg
- Kiedricher Sandgrub
- Geisenheimer Kläuserweg
- Oestricher Doosberg
- Hallgartener Jungfer
The south-facing Winkeler Jesuitengarten, with its deep, calcareous loess, counts among the flagships – a vineyard that produces powerful yet long-lived Rieslings.
Awards
Prinz von Hessen is a constant presence in the leading German wine guides – Falstaff, Gault&Millau and Eichelmann regularly list the estate among the recommended Rheingau producers. The wines also find international recognition, including gold medals at the International Wine Challenge. More telling than individual scores, though, is the reliability across vintages: an estate with around 70% classified vineyard area has to live up to that claim anew every year.