In Rheinhessen, Carsten Saalwächter is becoming a must-watch grower in Germany's newest guard.

You might remember us talking about Carsten Saalwächter earlier this year, in the context of his category-defining Pinot Noir. Now, we’re here to talk about his lineup of sophisticated German white wine: Silvaner, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay, and yes, Riesling.

Carstein is a hometown kid: after traveling and making wine around Germany and Burgundy he returned home to Ingelheim, where the Saalwächter name has been prominent for generations. Managing the winery alongside his father for the better part of a decade, his wines are now the main affair.

While his Pinot Noir straddles Rheinhessen and Rheingau (Hollenberg!), the white variety holdings are squarely in the most northern stretch of Rheinhessen surrounding Ingelheim.

It’s quite cool and windy there, and the limestone-packed hills do exactly what you’d expect: breathing intensely energetic acidity into the wine. The wines still have densely layered fruit, though; it’s an impressive and stylish approach to German white wine.

Simply put: the '22ers are great. The more generous vintage added an extra layer of texture to the high-wire style we experienced in his '21s. With a world class level of translucence you might think this is his peak (re. the Chardonnay, we've heard a reference to Keller) but Carsten is so young and so talented, we’re sure this is not the last time we’ll be telling you about his wine.

2022 RELEASE:

2022 Weingut Saalwächter Silvaner 'Alte Reben', Rheinhessen $36
Old vine Silvaner that Carsten affectionately refers to as "Saalwächter water." It's refreshing, lithe and sneakily complex: herbal, smoky, citrusy, and 11.5% ABV.

2021 Weingut Saalwächter Riesling Kalkstein, Rheinhessen $38
A late release dry Riesling from the decade-defining 2021 vintage.

2022 Weingut Saalwächter Grauerburgunder, Rheinhessen $42
Delicately red fruited, grippy and structured.

2022 Weingut Saalwächter Weisserburgunder, Rheinhessen $50
Like the Silvaner, it's lightweight at 11.5% ABV; with incredible mineral clarity that sits shoulder to shoulder with Germany's most celebrated Pinot Blanc producers.

2022 Weingut Saalwächter Chardonnay, Rheinhessen $74
Energetic, textured, complex - you can see why Carsten has said, "If you want to drink French, Ingelheim is close."

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