The Birkweiler Riesling vom Rotliegenden from Ökonomierat Rebholz is actually the second wine of the GG Kastanienbusch. Rotliegend are soils of volcanic origin, whose high iron content leads to a reddish color.
The village wine Riesling vom Rotliegenden is from the younger Kastanienbusch plots and earlier harvested lots. This wine has not reached the depth and power to be declared a Grosses Gewächs. However, it doesn't even cost half as much as the GG and is therefore a hot price-enjoyment tip. It has a lot of the character of its big brother and a long development time in the bottle is also possible, as this still very young 2018 shows.
Wine critic Tom Cannavan rated 93/100 writes about this 2018 Riesling: "From the more southerly Pfalz, often a source with a bit more weight and fullness than those of the Mosel or Rhine, this has such a purity of lemon jelly and hints of smoky minerals, leading onto a palate that shimmers with pure fruit. From complex red slate soils, it does have weight there is some sweetness on the attack, some juiciness, but that shimmering core of acidity drives the long, dry finish."
