2023 Wagner Stempel Estate Dry Riesling

The 2023 Wagner Stempel Estate Dry Riesling is a benchmark expression of Rheinhessen terroir, showcasing the region's ability to produce Riesling with both precision and approachability. Daniel and Günter Wagner farm sixty-five acres across Siefersheim's red slate and limestone slopes, and this estate bottling — their entry point into one of Germany's most respected portfolios — draws fruit from younger vines that still capture the mineral clarity the family is known for. The 2023 vintage delivers vibrant white peach, spring blossoms, and citrus zest aromatics, with a spine of acidity that keeps the wine taut and refreshing. Wagner Stempel has been family-run since 1845, but the modern era began when Daniel Wagner took over in 2009 and converted the estate to organic viticulture. Rheinhessen is Germany's largest wine region, but the Wagners work a cooler pocket near the Nahe border where red slate — Rotliegend formations deposited three hundred million years ago — dominates the hillsides. This estate Riesling ferments in stainless steel with native yeasts, preserving the variety's transparency and allowing the underlying minerality to show through. The Wagners avoid malolactic conversion and keep sulfur additions minimal, so the wine retains its raciness and focus. The palate opens with green apple and lemon, layered with bright stone fruit and a saline edge that comes from those ancient soils. Medium-bodied and bone-dry, the wine has lively acidity and a zesty, persistent finish that makes it an ideal partner for oysters, seared scallops, goat cheese salads, or grilled trout with herbs. It's equally comfortable as an aperitif on a warm evening, the kind of Riesling that convinces skeptics the grape doesn't have to be sweet. Pour it cold, and expect it to gain complexity as it warms in the glass. The 2023 Wagner Stempel Estate Dry Riesling is available now at Off Premise Chicago in Lincoln Park for pickup at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.