Weingut Wittmann

The Wittmann family winery was first mentioned in 1663 as a leasehold estate of the Electoral Palatine known as the Seehof, making it one of Rheinhessen's oldest continuously family-operated estates. Own-label bottling started in 1921. During the 1960s, Georg and Irmgard Wittmann profiled the viticultural side of their Rhinehessian mixed farm. The environmentally conscious turnaround began under Günter and Elisabeth Wittmann in the 1980s, with full organic certification through the Naturland association achieved in 1990. Philipp Wittmann, the fifteenth generation, took over winemaking in 2003 after studying viticulture and gaining experience in the Rheingau, Baden, and abroad. His wife Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann, herself a winemaker from the Mosel estate Ansgar Clüsserath, co-manages the property alongside Philipp's parents.

• First documented in 1663 as leasehold of the Electoral Palatine Seehof; own-label bottling since 1921
• Organic certification via Naturland 1990; Demeter biodynamic certification 2004
• Riesling accounts for 65% of plantings; Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Silvaner, and Scheurebe make up the remainder
• VDP member since 1998; classified as a Grosse Lage producer across four Westhofen sites

In the late 1990s a group of young winemakers, including Philipp Wittmann, Klaus Peter Keller, Carolin Kühling-Gillot, and Hans-Oliver Spanier, joined forces to revive Rheinhessen's reputation for quality after decades overshadowed by high-volume, sweet branded wine. In 2002 they founded Message in a Bottle, an association to encourage cooperation and mentoring among young vintners; the group ultimately grew to 28 members. Wittmann has been a central voice in that renaissance, pioneering biodynamic viticulture in the region and showing that Westhofen limestone sites can produce dry Rieslings of world-class depth and longevity. Philipp served for several years as President of VDP Rheinhessen and is now Vice-President of the VDP at national level.

• Co-founded Message in a Bottle in 2002 with Keller, Kühling-Gillot, and Spanier to drive Rheinhessen's quality renaissance
• Wittmann was among Germany's first estates to achieve full organic certification, predating the modern organic boom
• Philipp Wittmann served as President of VDP Rheinhessen; now Vice-President of VDP nationally
• Named Winemaker of the Year 2014 by Gault Millau Wine Guide; estate is Eichelmann 2024 Winery of the Year for Best White Wine Collection

Wittmann's approach in the cellar is a direct extension of its biodynamic convictions in the vineyard: minimal intervention, spontaneous fermentation, and patience. After selective hand harvesting in multiple passes, grapes are gently pressed and the juice flows by gravity into the vaulted cellar, built in 1829, where it ferments slowly with indigenous yeasts in around eighty large traditional wooden casks, the oldest dating to 1890. Grosses Gewächs Rieslings ferment and age in 2,400-litre neutral oak barrels on the fine lees. Estate-level wines may see a proportion of stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. Filtration is minimal. The result is wines of remarkable purity that authentically express Westhofen's distinctive limestone and marl terroir.

• Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in large traditional wooden casks in the 1829 vaulted cellar
• Each cask contains the harvest of a single vineyard parcel; oldest barrel in use dates to 1890
• Biodynamic viticulture with zero synthetic herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or mineral fertilisers; composting is done in-house
• Low yields and selective hand harvesting in multiple passes are core quality criteria

The estate farms around 28-30 hectares exclusively within the commune of Westhofen in southern Rheinhessen, in the Wonnegau district. The four VDP Grosse Lage sites each produce a distinct GG Riesling. Aulerde, first documented in 1380, is the estate's warmest site, sheltered by the Kirchspiel slope; its core parcel sits on heavy clayey marl with loess loam, and the oldest vines were planted in 1949 at a density of 8,000 vines per hectare. Kirchspiel opens like an amphitheater toward the Rhine, with east-to-southeast exposure up to thirty percent gradient and shallow topsoil over limestone. Morstein, first documented in 1282 and the oldest named vineyard in Westhofen, is a south-facing slope rising to 280 metres, with heavy clayey marl and porous limestone subsoil; Wittmann farms a five-hectare parcel. Brunnenhäuschen is the estate's coolest, most elevated site, where grapes ripen latest; Wittmann cultivates the old Abtserde parcel of around half a hectare. Beginning with the 2024 vintage, a fifth GG, Höllenbrand, was added as the western continuation of Morstein on similar soils but ripening approximately seven days later.

• Aulerde first documented 1380: warmest site, heavy clayey marl over sandy clay subsoil, vines planted 1949 at 8,000 vines/ha
• Kirchspiel: east-to-southeast amphitheater exposure, slopes to 30%, shallow limestone soils; spicy, saline, herbaceous style
• Morstein first documented 1282: south-facing to 280m, heavy clayey marl with porous limestone substrate; estate holds 5ha, majority ownership
• Höllenbrand added to GG range from 2024; western extension of Morstein, cooler, ripens seven days later

Wittmann's house style is pure, austere, and bracingly mineral, with wines defined by energy, precision, salinity, and slow-developing complexity. The Gutsriesling (estate Riesling), described by Philipp Wittmann himself as the estate's liquid calling card, shows delicate yellow fruit, good texture, and an almost salty mineral length. The Westhofener Riesling, a VDP Ortswein sourced from younger parcels in the Morstein and Brunnenhäuschen sites, delivers the same electric acidity with crushed-mineral and citrus precision at a more accessible price. The four Grosse Lage GG Rieslings each express their terroir distinctly: Aulerde is richer and more yellow-fruited from its warm clay-marl soils; Kirchspiel is spicier and more herbaceous with gripping limestone tension; Morstein is the most complex and monolithic, requiring years to open; and Höllenbrand brings elegant jasmine and green tea notes with lacy power.

• Gutsriesling: delicate yellow fruit, good texture, salty mineral length; the estate's entry-point expression
• Aulerde GG: warmer, richer style with stone fruit and mirabelle; dense marl soils and 70-plus-year vines build concentration
• Morstein GG: the estate's most structured and age-worthy expression; pure limestone minerality, chalky texture, decades of cellaring potential
• All GGs are bone dry, typically around 12.5-13% alcohol, with vibrant natural acidity and zero added yeasts

Wittmann's GG Rieslings consistently earn scores in the mid-to-upper 90s from major critics. The 2022 Morstein GG received 99 points from Stuart Pigott at JamesSuckling.com, 96 points from Stephan Reinhardt at Wine Advocate, and 95-97 points from Anne Krebiehl MW at Vinous. The 2022 Aulerde GG received 95 points from James Suckling and 94 points from Wine Advocate. The 2023 Morstein GG was awarded 97+ points by Falstaff. The estate was named Winery of the Year for Best White Wine Collection by the Eichelmann 2024 Wine Guide, appeared in Wine and Spirits Top 100 Winery in 2019, and the 2019 Westhofener Riesling was ranked No. 25 in the Wine Spectator Top 100. Philipp Wittmann was named Germany's Winemaker of the Year 2014 by Gault Millau Wine Guide.

• 2022 Morstein GG: 99 points James Suckling, 96 points Wine Advocate, 95-97 points Vinous
• 2022 Aulerde GG: 95 points James Suckling, 94 points Wine Advocate
• 2023 Morstein GG: 97+ points Falstaff; 2019 Westhofener Riesling: Wine Spectator Top 100 No. 25
• Eichelmann 2024 Winery of the Year, Best White Wine Collection; Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year 2014