Bischöfliches Priesterseminar - Kaseler Kehrnagel Riesling kabinett trocken dry 1989

Episcopal Seminary – Kaseler Kehrnagel Riesling Kabinett dry 1989

The Kaseler Kehrnagel Riesling Kabinett dry 1989 comes from the Episcopal Seminary in Trier, the oldest of the three church-owned vineyards that were merged in 1966 to form the current administration of the Episcopal Vineyards of Trier. The Seminary was founded in 1773 and has a long tradition of viticulture along the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer rivers.

The Kaseler Kehrnagel vineyard is situated in the Ruwer Valley, in a side valley to the east of the Ruwer. The vines grow here on Devonian weathered slate and deep soils. The high slate content lends the wines a distinctive minerality and subtle spice. In good years, particularly juicy and full-bodied Rieslings are produced here.

The 1989 vintage is regarded as one of the outstanding vintages of the late 20th century in the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer regions. An ideal, warm and sunny summer ensured optimal ripening conditions. The wines are characterised by exceptional ripeness, concentration and a lively, healthy acidity – qualities that give them an extremely long shelf life. At the time, dry Kabinett vinification was by no means the norm, and it lends the wine a clear, taut structure combined with refined elegance.

After more than three decades of bottle ageing, such bottles are among the most interesting historical rarities in the collection of the Episcopal Vineyards. Well-preserved examples often display the typical development of mature Ruwer Rieslings: smoky, mineral notes, delicate tertiary aromas and an acidity that remains vivid and present.

The Episcopal Seminary and the subsequent Episcopal Vineyards of Trier stand for the preservation of traditional steep-slope viticulture. The 1989 Kaseler Kehrnagel Riesling Kabinett dry is a silent testament to this history – a wine that reflects its origin, its era and the unique character of the Ruwer Valley.