Keller Winery – Mölsheim, Zellerweg, ‘Am Schwarzen Herrgott’, Pinot Noir GG Grosses Gewächs, dry, 2022

Keller Winery – Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott Pinot Noir GG dry 2022: The quiet precision of a rediscovered Burgundian vineyard

There are wines that are more than just a drink. They are the audible pulse of a region, the uncompromising signature of a winemaker and a time capsule for a specific moment in the vineyard. The 2022 Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott Pinot Noir, produced by Weingut Keller in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, is one such wine. It comes from the hand of a winemaker whom the wine world has long since crowned the ‘Kabi King’ and who, with his dry Rieslings and Pinot Noirs, sets standards that are unrivalled worldwide. The Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott vineyard is one of Rheinhessen’s most exciting yet least well-known Pinot Noir sites – a terroir that has only been awakened from its slumber through the persistent efforts of the Keller family. Tasting a bottle of this wine is no ordinary encounter with a German Pinot Noir, but a journey into the quiet grandeur of a vineyard that has the makings of a legend, and into a vintage that early tasters have described as one of the most promising of recent years.

The Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott: A rediscovered Burgundy vineyard

To understand this wine, one must first understand the vineyard from which it originates. The Mölsheim Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott is a VDP.Große Lage, situated in the far north of Rheinhessen, on the border with the Palatinate. The vineyards lie on a plateau with a gradient of around 10 to 15 per cent and rest on a soil of limestone over blue clay, interspersed with veins of iron. This geological composition is key to the structure and longevity of the wines: the limestone ensures excellent drainage and lends the wine an unmistakable mineral freshness, whilst the blue clay ensures the vines’ water supply during dry summers and provides richness and body. The iron veins give the soil a reddish hue and contribute to the spicy, almost blood-like complexity that characterises great Pinot Noirs from this vineyard.

The distinctive feature of this vineyard lies in its cool, late ripening. As wine critic Jancis Robinson noted in a tasting note, the Zellerweg ripens about two weeks later than the Frauenberg and is ‘cooler than the Morstein’. This late ripening means that the grapes have more time to develop their aromas, whilst the cool autumn nights preserve the natural acidity – the ideal foundation for a Pinot Noir of great finesse and tension. The vineyards are planted with 25-year-old vines (not the high-density plot that the Keller family planted later), and the grapes are harvested by hand and rigorously selected. Winemaking follows the estate’s traditional methods: 100 per cent whole grapes (including stems) in this vintage, a basket press and ageing in older French oak barrels. This gentle, minimally invasive winemaking is the estate’s hallmark and the key to the exceptional balance and longevity of its wines.

The 2022 vintage: warmth, ripeness and precise structure

The 2022wine-growing year in Rheinhessen was characterised by warm, sunny conditions, which enabled healthy fruit development and a focused, energetic profile. The harvest began early, and the grapes reached a level of ripeness exceptional for the region without losing their acidity – a combination that makes this wine a candidate for early enjoyment and medium-term ageing. The warm conditions of 2022 resulted in wines with ripe fruit, a velvety texture and an approachable structure, which are a delight to drink even in their youth, yet also possess the potential for several years’ development. One taster described the 2022 vintage as one that combines“great depth, precision and refined Burgundian style with exceptional ageing potential”. The 2022 vintage is regarded in Rheinhessen as one of the finest of recent years, and the Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott is one of the most distinguished examples of this quality.

The sensory experience: dark fruit, ethereal intensity and chalky tannins

Tasting a bottle of the Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott 2022 today is an experience of rare depth and complexity. The colour is the first indication of its concentration: The wine presents itself in a medium carmine red – a colour that suggests extract and density without appearing opaque. The nose is the first major revelation of this wine. It is intense, yet ethereal rather than concentrated, as Jancis Robinson aptly put it. Aromas of ripe red and black cherries, raspberries and blackberries dominate the initial impression, underpinned by pronounced rose petal notes and a spicy, peppery element derived from the 100 per cent stems. With a little air in the glass ,notes of wild strawberries, a hint of smoke and a subtle reductive note emerge, lending the bouquet an additional dimension of complexity. The chalky minerality so typical of the Zellerweg shines through as a cool, stony undertone, anchoring the wine in its terroir.

On the palate, the true greatness of this wine unfolds. The attack is powerful and dense, with a full body and a wealth of dark fruit flavours that envelop the palate. The texture is silky and velvety, yet the wine is permeated by a lively, invigorating acidity that prevents it from feeling heavy and lends it remarkable freshness and length. The tannins are of exceptional finesse and precision – Jancis Robinson describes them as ‘chalky andfine, but with a little more resistance and bite than in the Frauenberg, and yet extremely refined’. This combination of perfectly velvety tannins, a long structure and mineral depth lends the wine a ‘genuine intensity’, which nevertheless comes across as‘ethereal rather than concentrated’. The aromas on the nose are echoed on the palate with great precision: dark fruits, rose petals, pepper and a delicate mineral salinity blend into a harmonious whole. The finish is exceptionally long and energetic with apeppery edge, featuring a clean aftertaste of fruit, tannins and a subtle mineral note.

The reviews: a chorus of praise

The reviews for the Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott 2022 reflect its exceptional quality and its ability to win over even seasoned critics. Jancis Robinson MW awarded 17++ out of 20 points and described the wine as ‘a beauty in the making’, though one that is‘at the moment slightly less in harmony with itself than the other reds’. Robert Parker awarded 95 points – an outstanding rating that highlights the wine’s exceptional concentration and depth. The CellarTracker community, where collectors share their tasting notes, gives this wine a rating of 93+ points and describes it as a wine with “ripe red and black cherry, raspberry and blackberry”, a “dense fruit pulp” and “strong yet silky tannins”, as well as a “long finish”. This range of high ratings shows that the Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott 2022 is a wine that can be perceived very differently depending on the bottle, storage conditions and personal taste, but which consistently impresses at the very highest level.

Drinking maturity and ageing potential: A wine for the coming decades

The question of when the Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott 2022 will be ready to drink is of particular importance today, four years after the harvest. The wine is still young and impetuous, and the experts’ recommendations paint a unanimous picture: it needs time . Jancis Robinson noted that the wine was‘recently bottled and therefore somewhat closed’. Anyone lucky enough to own a bottle should therefore store it patiently – under optimal conditions (cool, dark and vibration-free) , the wine will gain in complexity over the next ten to fifteen years, allowing the mineral depth of the limestone and the spicy peppery notes of the stems to emerge ever more clearly. The serving recommendation is clear: the wine should be served at a temperature of 15 to 16 degrees Celsius to bring out its delicate aromas and structure to the full. Careful decanting for around 60 to 90 minutes before drinking can help to open up the complex aromas and further soften the tannins – particularly whilst the wine is still young. It is a perfect accompaniment to game fowl, braised beef, lamb or mature hard cheese – and it is a wine that deserves to be savoured on its own and in tranquillity, as a meditation on time and the enduring power of a great terroir.

Conclusion: The quiet grandeur of a rediscovered vineyard

The Keller Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott Pinot Noir GG dry 2022 is not a wine that takes centre stage. It is not a ‘Große Lage’ in the marketing-driven sense, celebrated as a legend in every wine magazine, and it is available only in vanishingly small quantities – a rare bottling reserved primarily for connoisseurs and collectors. And yet it embodies a virtue that is often overlooked in today’s wine world: the quiet, enduring greatness of a wine that has emerged from one of Rheinhessen’s most exciting vineyards, the steadfast craftsmanship of a winemaker who is redefining the Pinot Noir genre, and a vintage that combines warmth and ripeness with precise structure. It is the result of a fortunate combination of calcareous soil with veins of iron, 25-year-old vines and a gentle vinification process using 100 per cent whole grapes, followed by ageing in older French oak barrels. It reminds us that true class is not always expressed through spectacular opulence or a famous name, but often through the ability to develop its own subtle and deeply satisfying character within the conditions of the times. Its greatness lies in its modesty – a quiet triumph of consistency and a worthy ambassador for the Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott, Rheinhessen and the Keller winery’s decades-long tradition. Anyone lucky enough to open a bottle of this wine should take the time not only to savour it, but also to reflect on the transience and the enduring fascination of a wine that has stood the test of time.