Sensational Ratings for Weingut Thörle from Stuart Pigott

Weingut Thörle receives consistently high scores from critics every year, and visitors to the winery in Saulheim typically walk away with stunned expressions, shaking their heads as if to say, "What just happened?"! So it's no surprise that esteemed British critic Stuart Pigott declared, "Weingut Thörle is undoubtedly one of Germany's best!" with his recent reviews published at jamessuckling.com.

Thörle has always stood out to me as a next-level, new-generation producer for as long as I've known the wines, focusing on top-quality dry Riesling and Spätburgunder. It's similar to the 90s-era "Message in a Bottle" camp of outstanding Rheinhessen estates, although I'm not sure Thörle was ever a part of the group. The brothers Christoph and Johannes took over from their parents in 2006, and from what Christoph has told me, their parents, Rudolf and Uta, recognized the potential of Saulheim's limestone soils early on and planted more Riesling, Pinot Noir, and were one of the first to plant Chardonnay in the region. Those 30-year-old Chardonnay vines produce Chassagne-esque magic today, but the sensational dry Rieslings and single-vineyard Pinot Noirs steal the show.

Amid Thörle's 28 hectares are the three grand cru sites, Saulheimer's Schlossberg, Probstey, and Hölle, from which the Thörle legend grows. VDP classified or not, the scores do not lie about the greatness of these vineyards and the brother's commitment to excellence in the little Rheinhessen village of Saulheim. Click here to read Stuart's full report.