Koehler Ruprecht CHARDONNAY Kallstadter Annaberg Spatlese Trocken 2021 750ml

Dominik farms this organically and matures the wine without bâtonnage in old oak barrels, rendering a vivid, finely etched style that speaks in its own salty, citrusy, savory idiom.

The nose of the Chardonnay from Annaberg is puristic, very pure and moves in the citrus spectrum. We don't have opulent buttery notes, but rather a very finely crafted fruit with some lime zest, green and yellow pear and lychee. There is also a fine enamel and behind it a deep, chalky minerality, which currently sets the tone. In the mouth a grandiose freshness and mouth-watering juiciness.

No expansive Chardonnay, more racy than bold. The yellow and also slightly greenish fruit is nevertheless equipped with a charming glaze, which, however, never becomes the dominant due to this great freshness. Nice green and also yellow pear, some biscuit and a hint of green almonds and behind that nice chalky bite. Very chic and elegant, a classic German-style Chardonnay that sees no barrique, but only used piece casks and does not undergo malolactic fermentation to stay fully fresh. 

Stephan Reinhardt writes:  Aged on the full lees in a single tonneau for nine months, the 2021 Kallstadter Annaberg Chardonnay Spätlese trocken offers an intense but refined, elegant and well-balanced nose with chalky notes. From a 30-year-old 0.5-hectare plot on pure chalk that delivers small berries, this is a round and lush, very fine and elegant white with ripe and elegant fruit, fine acidity and a persistent, saline finish with intense, well-structured fruit that intertwines with fine tannins and tensioned salty grip. This is an excellent gastronomic wine. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork.  Drinking 2022 - 2032.  Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92

Koehler-Ruprecht remains an absolute top address in the Pfalz. For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, I was back in Kallstadt, and the tasting of Dominik Sona's wines was without a doubt one of the highlights of the entire trip.  Stephan Reinhardt

Stuart Pigott writes:  Still youthful and a bit closed, this sophisticated chardonnay has wonderful mid-palate creaminess and textural complexity, the subtle pear and Amalfi lemon flavors cascading over your palate. Just a hint of oak tannin underlines all this very neatly in the finish. Drink or hold.  - James Suckling 93