Great wines don’t happen by chance. They are the result of an ideal interplay of soil, grape variety and climate. The wine-grower must bear these factors, as well as innovation, in mind in order to produce authentic wines. For nearly 1,200 years viticulture at Schloss Johannisberg has embraced these realities as part of an open-minded tradition. This guarantees the inimitably elegant and aromatic character of a Johannisberger Riesling. Mother Nature dictates the rhythm at the wine estate. Despite its individuality and unpredictability, nature also provides a certain reliability if all the factors mesh at the right time. To meet this ongoing new challenge requires not only knowledge and experience, but also respect in handling natural resources. Vineyard maintenance in harmony with nature, gentle processing of grapes, and overseeing fermentation and aging with the right feel have long been standard here. It is the basis of a total work of art – wine – that is in tune with nature. Depending on vintage and ripeness level of the grapes, the juice is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and large oak casks. In this manner, the complex fruitiness of Rieslings as well as vintage differences can be dealt with individually. The use of casks made from oaks of the Schloss Johannisberger forest – grown in the same Taunus quartzite as the grapes, and thus reflect the character of their origin – is another means of lending the wines authenticity and inimitability. Schloss Johannisberger Rieslings also spend considerable time on the lees to foster complexity and bring forth elegant fruit. This important phase of development is worth the effort, for it yields wines that retain their freshness even years after bottling. Today, as in the past, Schloss Johannisberg is committed to producing wines that reflect the character of their origin, and to making Johannisberg, as well as its history and its future in Riesling, accessible – thereby presenting a taste of German wine culture
"In the world of commerce, one expects a Schloss Johannisberg wine to be an exclusive, pleasant drink. We must uphold this good reputation and ?ensure that it remains justified."
State Chancellor Fürst von Metternich 1841 (speaking to his administration)
The Key to the Colors
Various colors have been used to distinguish wine qualities at Schloss Johannisberg since the days of Fürst von Metternich. Then (1820), with “Siegellack” (wax seals); today, with colored capsules
Gelblack (yellow seal): | QbA |
Rotlack (red seal): | Kabinett |
Grünlack (green seal): | Spätlese |
Silberlack (silver seal): | 1.Gewächs (first growth) |
Rosalack (pink seal): | Auslese |
Rosa-Goldlack (pink-gold seal): | Beerenauslese |
Goldlack (gold seal): | Trockenbeerenauslese |
Blaulack (blue seal): | Eiswein |