Hofgut Falkenstein

The linear, laser-focused Rieslings of Hofgut Falkenstein are among the most thrilling wines being made on the Saar today. Bottled separately according to the specific plot and cask in which they were grown and raised, they each convey a precise sense of place. They are highly sought after and often hard to come by – but remain eminently affordable.

In 1985, Erich Weber moved into the dilapidated Falkensteinerhof and slowly began setting up the winery. The now revitalised manor house and its holdings are situated in the Konzer Tälchen, a cool-climate tributary valley of the Saar that counts among the winners of global warming – where the grapes find it increasingly easier to achieve full physiological ripeness, in vineyards responsible for a range of outstanding wines.

Meticulous manual work in the vineyard

Erich and son Johannes now run the estate together. Their brilliant wines are the result of physically demanding manual work in the vineyard. They farm 13 hectares, with vines aged between 60 and 90 years old. The holdings in one hectare are ungrafted. Renowned plots include Krettnacher Altenberg, Niedermenniger Herrenberg and Krettnacher Euchariusberg – this latter vineyard officially ranking among the very best sites on the Saar according to the Prussian tax authorities in the 19th century. Quality is the number-one focus at Hofgut Falkenstein. Hand-picked grapes that fail to meet the property’s exacting standards are sold to local cooperatives.

Old-school winemaking

Stepping into the Webers’ cellar is like entering a time warp. No gleaming tanks or gadgetry in sight. Everything is decidedly low-tech. The winemaking is gentle, relying on gravity – and gravity only. For vinification and maturation, the Webers only use traditional Mosel Fuder  (1,000-litre oak casks) made of native oak. Their bottlings are cask-by-cask, meaning that every Fuder is bottled separately instead of being blended with other casks – an old practice seen much less nowadays. Hence, it is common for Falkenstein wines from the same vineyard, the same vintage and even the same Prädikat (Kabinett, Spätlese, etc.) to have different AP numbers (official identification codes). Individual casks are given family or vineyard names that are stated on the bottle label. 

The Weber family produce a remarkable array of tremendously vibrant, complex, electric, laser-focused yet light-footed Rieslings that tell their own individual story with every sip.

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