Three brothers - Jonas, Lukas, and Philipp Seckinger - farm 20 hectares near Deidesheim in Germany’s Pfalz region. Their farming is certified organic and practicing biodynamic. Petershöhle, literally Peter’s Cave, is the pride of the Seckinger family. Over 30 years ago, Papa Seckinger began restoring these ancient terraces of red sandstone soils framed by thick forests, in the upper-most part of the larger Herrgottsacker Erste Lage (Premier Cru vineyard). The woodland air here is cool and invigorating. Whole bunches are foot-trod and then pressed after 2-3 days of maceration. Spontaneous fermentation followed by 15 months of élevage happens in 225-liter German oak barrels. The wine is unfiltered and has just 20 mg/L of SO2 added before bottling. Annual production is 230 cases.
The Petershöhle is the most intellectually demanding riesling from Seckinger: it’s firm, concentrated, and wild, with herbs, citrus, iron, and capsicum. Drink it with smoked fish, pork dishes, goat cheeses, or spicy but dry Asian salads, such as nam khao tod. It is delicious right out of the bottle, but don’t hesitate to decant it for an hour or wait for 5-10 years before opening it.
