Von Othegraven MAX Riesling Trocken 2023 Germany 750ml

Günther Jauch is one of the most recognizable figures in German public life — the television presenter and journalist who has hosted Wer wird Millionär? (Germany's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) for over two decades, and who is personally responsible for one of the most remarkable investments in German wine in the 21st century. In 2010, Jauch and his wife Thea Sihler-Jauch inherited the Von Othegraven estate from a great-aunt and immediately committed to transforming it into a serious VDP member winery — bringing in cellarmaster Swen Klinger, investing in the steep vineyard work that Germany's finest Saar sites demand, and pursuing quality standards that have earned the estate recognition across the German wine press in the years since.

The MAX Riesling Trocken is the estate's calling card — its house Riesling, its most produced and most widely available expression, and the wine that Swen Klinger specifically builds from the estate's best vineyard rather than its lesser parcels. That decision — "the best is just good enough for the house's calling card" — says everything about the Von Othegraven philosophy. The Kanzemer Altenberg, from which the MAX is sourced, is not a secondary vineyard reserved for entry-level production. It is the largest contiguous steep vineyard in Europe: a south-southeast facing wall of red Devonian slate above the Saar old riverbed in Kanzem, described as one of the warmest vineyards on the Saar, capable of producing what Vinothek der Saar calls "enormously powerful, structured Riesling." To use this vineyard for the entry-level dry Riesling is an act of genuine generosity toward the wine buyer who reaches for it.

At 11.5% ABV, spontaneously fermented in stainless steel and matured on fine lees until bottling in June 2024, the 2023 MAX is everything that Saar dry Riesling is meant to be: "crisp Saar acidity, lots of juice, zesty citrus, all about tension, mineral draw" (Falstaff, 90 Points for 2021 vintage). The 2023 adds a specific quality confirmed by multiple reviewers: "surprisingly open and accessible at this early stage" alongside "excellent structure that guarantees high aging potential." A Riesling for tonight and for the next decade simultaneously.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Weingut von Othegraven was founded in the early 16th century in Kanzem an der Saar — a village on the Saar River, a tributary of the Mosel, whose steep slate vineyards represent some of the most challenging and most rewarding viticulture in all of Germany. The estate has been in family ownership since 1805, passing through generations of the Othegraven family before coming to Günther and Thea Sihler-Jauch in 2010 — who took over from Thea's great-aunt and immediately committed to the quality investment that the estate's exceptional terroir deserved. The estate is now managed in the sixth generation of family stewardship, with cellarmaster Swen Klinger leading day-to-day production alongside the Jauch family.

The Kanzemer Altenberg is the estate's flagship vineyard and one of the most dramatic viticultural sites in Germany. Covering several dozen hectares of continuous steep slope directly in front of the winery, it holds the distinction of being the largest contiguous steep vineyard in all of Europe — a virtually unbroken wall of red Devonian slate angled at gradients that make mechanical viticulture impossible and hand work essential for every operation from pruning through harvest. Its south-southeast orientation maximizes sun exposure in the Saar's cool continental climate, and its position above the Saar old riverbed creates a specific thermal environment — warmth reflected from the river below, natural drainage through the permeable slate, and the diurnal temperature swings that preserve natural acidity in fully ripened fruit.

For the 2023 MAX, the grapes were hand-harvested at the beginning of October — the timing allowing full phenolic ripeness while the cool nights preserved the natural acidity structure that is the Saar's most defining quality. After a short maceration period, the must was pressed and spontaneously fermented in stainless steel tanks using the natural yeasts present on the grape skins and in the cellar environment — a fermentation approach that adds the aromatic wildness, complexity, and site-specific character that commercial yeast strains suppress. The wine then matured on its fine lees in stainless steel until bottling in June 2024 — approximately eight months of lees contact that builds a subtle textural richness and yeast-derived complexity without compromising the wine's essential freshness and mineral purity. Residual sugar is minimal at approximately 7.5 grams per liter — technically trocken (dry), with the slight residual sweetness invisible against the Saar's characteristically piercing acidity.

Critics Reviews

Falstaff — 90 Points (2021 vintage, Ulrich Sautter): "Mineral-spicy aroma, some kindling and smoke, plus tart fresh citrus with lime and grapefruit. On the palate it presents with crisp Saar acidity, lots of juice, zesty citrus, all about tension, mineral draw, great notion into the range, good length."

Vinothek der Saar — 2023 vintage: "The Othegraven MAX Riesling dry 2023 is a distinctive Riesling with a strong character — a wine that you either love or hate. This vintage already presents itself as surprisingly open and accessible at this early stage, with excellent structure that guarantees high aging potential. Saar Riesling that usually only unfolds its full potential after three years of aging."

WeinKollektion — 2023 vintage: "Zart und noch etwas bedeckt zeigt sich die Nase nach eingemachtem Steinobst gefolgt von kräuteriger Mineralität und einer pflanzlichen Note." (Delicate and still somewhat closed on the nose with preserved stone fruit followed by herbal minerality and a vegetal note.)

Tasting Profile

Nose Brilliant, light yellow with green highlights — the Saar's cool growing conditions and the stainless steel fermentation's preservative influence visible in the freshness of the color. The nose is initially delicate and slightly closed — the 2023's "surprisingly open" quality revealing itself with 10 to 15 minutes of air and a slight swirl. Preserved stone fruit emerges first — pear and peach showing the Saar's characteristic ripe-but-cool fruit character — alongside green apple and a subtle herbal freshness. Pomelo and lime add the tart, slightly resinous citrus quality that Falstaff identified as the most distinctive Saar trocken aromatic — vivid, precise, and quite different from the softer citrus of warmer-climate Riesling. Pink grapefruit adds a slightly bitter, slightly floral dimension. A herbal minerality and a barely detectable smoky, kindling quality from the red Devonian slate soils add the most distinctly Saar aromatic element — cool, slightly mineral, slightly resinous. Cinnamon and cocoa appear at the very edges of the aromatic picture with air — unexpected and genuinely distinctive. The nose rewards patience and delivers considerably more with time than the initial pour suggests.

Palate Crisp, taut, and energetically structured — the Saar acidity arriving immediately and setting the palate's entire tone from the first sip. Zesty citrus leads: lime and pomelo with the slightly aggressive, bracingly fresh quality that is the Saar's most immediately legible characteristic. Green apple and pear add stone fruit dimension alongside the citrus, building toward a more generous mid-palate. The tension that Falstaff identified — "all about tension, mineral draw" — is most apparent here: the natural acidity and the slate mineral character creating a constant, slightly nervy energy that keeps every sip focused and forward-moving rather than soft or generous. The fine lees maturation's contribution adds a barely perceptible creamy texture and a yeast-adjacent depth that prevents the wine from reading as simply austere. Yellow fruits and a gentle mineral draw carry through the center. The 11.5% ABV keeps the palate light and refreshing — this is Riesling in its most transparent and most mineral form, with the alcohol serving the wine's character rather than asserting its own.

Finish Medium length, slightly creamy, and deeply mineral — the Kanzemer Altenberg's red slate most directly expressed in a cool, slightly smoky, persistently stony quality that carries the close. Lime zest and a whisper of preserved stone fruit fade alongside the mineral character in a combination that is clean, focused, and entirely satisfying. A gentle herbal note persists at the very end. The finish confirms the structure that guarantees aging potential — taut, precise, and built for development.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Serve well chilled at 10–12°C — the Saar acidity and mineral character are sharpest and most vivid cold. Allow 10 minutes of air after pouring — the nose opens considerably and the preserved stone fruit and herbal mineral notes reveal themselves fully with time. No decanting required. Outstanding alongside grilled pork, juicy roasted pork neck (specifically recommended by the Vinothek der Saar reviewer), smoked fish, sushi, shellfish, goat cheese, Asian cuisines, and any dish where the wine's bracingly fresh acidity and citrus character provides clean contrast rather than competing with the food. The 2023's "surprisingly open" accessibility makes it rewarding immediately; the structure underneath guarantees continued development through 2030 and beyond.