Seckinger "Steinwasser" Pflalz, Germany 2021

FROM PORTOVINO

VARIETIES: 60% Gewurztraminer, 30% Weissburgunder and 10% Savagnin

THE WINE: These are not wines for those that enjoy the so-called ‘traditional’ style, often with at least some residual sugar and a more fruit-forward style. Wines are vinified bone dry. What’s more, the moniker of ‘natural winemaker’ or ‘avant-guard winemaker’ irritates Jonas. He’s proud of them working biodynamically, but he’s not dogmatic about issues such as sulphur, and prefers to talk about his craft as cellar master.

Whole-clusters maceration for 10-12 hours; then it’s free run juice and a continuing of the spontaneous fermentation. There is nothing technical going on here; there are no temperature controlled tanks. Wine and lees are transferred to barrels made from a relatively unknown small local cooperage called Michel Gieß. Depending on the barrel, some are topped up, others are left to create a controlled oxidation. Natural decant and sulphur addition take place before bottling. The sulphur is not demonized here, but reduced to an absolute minimum and only used when the wines demand it. Jonas says he works by intuition…smelling and tasting the wine daily, like my grandfather did.

THE PRODUCER: Seckinger’s wines have some producers in southern Pfalz scratching their heads, meanwhile Germany’s new generation of sommeliers are sipping gleefully. Was geht? Here’s a biodynamic Pfalz producer taking cues from the natural Chablis and Jura ouillé or topped-up contingent, as it digs into the terroir of their historic vineyards of mostly red sandstone (buntsandstein). Aber hallo! Seckinger’s making some outstandingly rakish Riesling – bone dry, hazy and savoury! What’s lovely to see at Seckinger is the family and thirsty friends pitching in to help during harvest, and throughout the year. The three Seckinger brothers work on all aspects of the winery, with Lukas and Philipp mostly in the vineyards, and Jonas taking the lead for crafting the wines in the cellar.