In the western reaches of Germanys Rheinhessen region, also known as the land of the thousand hills, there is a forested subregion fanning out from the village of Wllstein known as Rheinhessische Schweiz (tr.: Swiss Rheinhessen). It is in one of the hamlets surrounding Wllstein, between forested summits that recall fairy tale more readily than reality, named Ecklesheim where you can find Weingut Mann, a wine farm covering a steady 10 hectares of vines since the 17th century. Today helmed by Andreas Mann, the winery has taken on new direction and life combining the heritage for classical expressions of wine (the pyramid of elegant Riesling expression & reliably lovely pellucid Sptburgunder) with curiosity won by, perhaps, the fearlessness of youth, has resulted in a staunch practice of organic viticulture and total foreswearing the presence of sulfur in vineyard & cellar alike. In this way, liberated from the regulations of German appellation committees and commitment to purely classical wines, Weingut Mann is producing excellent sans soufre wines that feel as fresh and modern while simultaneously informed by a kind of classical experts point of view. Clean but exciting co-ferments & skin-contact wines outline the range for their estate which still produces the core bottlings that have long defined them.

Rheinhessen, Germany. A starfruit and tangerine-soaked blend of Scheurebe, Mller-Thurgau & Huxelrebe, with17 days of skin contact in neutral oak. Unfined, unfiltered, no SO2.