Lukas Hammelmann Klostergarten Riesling, Pfalz, Germany 2022

The Klostergarten is the one “Grand Cru” of Hammelmann’s hometown of Zeiskam. This is a colder, windswept landscape, dense with clay – here we are very far from the famous haunts of the Pfalz. If clay soils are associated with more textural, even fleshy and fruit-forward wines, this is most decidedly not the case here. Hammelmann’s Klostergarten is incisive, citrus-driven, herbal and stony. It feels very cool climate, even in a warmer vintage like 2022. It is extremely salty and deeply savory with complex herbal notes and wild soil tones. Absolutely superb – will thrill the purists and please the less-extreme palate.