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Carl Koch Oppenheimer Sackträger Riesling Auslese 1997

Oppenheimer Sackträger Riesling Trocken Auslese 1997 Carl Koch

Original price was: 40,00 €.Current price is: 36,90 €.

Manufacturer
Year	1997
Typology	White Wine
Format	75 Cl
Origin	Germany
Grape Variety	Riesling
Label	Indigenous Yeast, Organic, Wood

Description
Manufacturer

Carl Koch – Oppenheimer Sackträger Riesling Auslese 1997

Overview

The Oppenheimer Sackträger Riesling Auslese 1997 is a benchmark late-harvest Riesling from Carl Koch, demonstrating the Rheinhessen region’s ability to produce sweet wines of exceptional elegance and longevity. Sourced from carefully selected grapes, this wine embodies the unique Sackträger terroir, with clay-limestone soils and ideal exposure, giving rise to a complex and harmonious aromatic profile. Sweetness, freshness, and minerality are perfectly balanced, offering a sensory experience that evolves over time, revealing notes of ripe fruit, honey, and the petrol nuances typical of mature Rieslings.

Wine Story

The term Auslese denotes a selection of particularly ripe or noble rot-affected grapes, providing concentration and complexity. The 1997 vintage benefited from optimal weather conditions, with warm but not excessive summer temperatures and a long, dry autumn that favored late-ripening. This wine reflects Carl Koch’s commitment to tradition: low yields, hand selection of the finest grapes, and careful vineyard management, producing an Auslese that faithfully expresses the Sackträger vineyard and the winery’s philosophy of excellence.

Vineyard Philosophy

The Sackträger vineyard is certified organic, following sustainable viticultural practices that respect both plant and soil. The deep clay and limestone soils lend the wine its signature minerality, while sunny exposures and cool nights preserve acidity and aromatic integrity. Hand harvesting and meticulous selection ensure only the best grapes are used, capturing the terroir, Riesling variety, and the estate’s identity in each bottle.

Cellar Approach

In the cellar, the must undergoes spontaneous fermentation without malolactic conversion, preserving freshness and tension. Aging takes place in stainless steel and large neutral oak casks, allowing aromatic integration without altering balance. Bottled after several years of evolution, the wine exhibits elegance, concentrated structure, and harmonious sweetness balanced by acidity and minerality. Sulfites are used minimally, sufficient to guarantee preservation while maintaining the wine’s authentic character.

Tasting Notes and Pairing

Color: deep golden with amber highlights, clear and luminous, reflecting age and evolution.
Nose: ripe and candied fruit, dried apricot, honey, orange zest, and subtle petrol notes characteristic of well-aged Rieslings.
Palate: sweet but balanced, full-bodied and enveloping, vibrant acidity that lifts the sweetness, long, mineral-driven finish, elegant and complex.

Food Pairing: pairs beautifully with foie gras, aged blue cheeses, fruit-based desserts or apple strudel, and complements lightly spiced Asian cuisine or honey-based desserts. Ideal as a contemplative wine to savor slowly and explore its evolving nuances.

Technical Sheet

Grape Variety: 100% Riesling
Origin: Oppenheimer Sackträger, Rheinhessen, Germany
Vintage: 1997
Alcohol: 10.5% vol
Residual Sugar: 120 g/l
Acidity: 8.5 g/l
Aging: stainless steel and large neutral oak casks, extended bottle maturation
Fermentation: spontaneous, no malolactic
Filtration: minimal
Contains sulfites
Serving Temperature: 10–12 °C

Carl Koch

History

The Carl Koch estate stands as one of the most significant wineries in the Rheinhessen region, long regarded as Germany’s “wine reservoir,” historically focused more on volume than on quality. The Koch family has overturned that perception through a legacy of over 170 years, marked by passion, vision, and craftsmanship. The story begins in 1855, when Friedrich Koch established the first quinine production facility on the family property — a groundbreaking medical discovery against malaria. Thirty years later, his son Carl Koch returned to the family’s roots in viticulture, converting the estate into a full-fledged winery. On the hills overlooking Oppenheim-am-Rhein and Dienheim, he planted vineyards that would redefine the region’s identity. Today, under the guidance of Paul Berkes, the seventh generation, the estate covers more than 12 hectares, cultivated organically and certified since 2010.

Philosophy in the Vineyard

At Carl Koch, viticulture is guided by a profound respect for nature and the expression of a unique terroir. The soils, alkaline and clay-limestone in composition, give the wines remarkable minerality and aromatic precision, unlike any other in Germany’s classic regions. The vineyards enjoy generous sunshine overlooking the Rhine, nurturing Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and St. Laurent. Every decision is taken with ecological balance in mind: no chemical intrusion, manual harvesting, and low yields ensure the utmost purity. Each grape tells the story of its origin, allowing the wines to capture the true essence of their landscape.

Winemaking Approach

In the cellar, the work of young Argentine winemaker Augustin Nova (formerly at Kloster Eberbach) has propelled the quality of Carl Koch’s wines to stellar heights. Fermentations are spontaneous, and aging takes place in stainless steel, Austrian oak barrels, or acacia casks. Malolactic fermentation is never induced and is often avoided in white wines to preserve freshness and tension. Each technical choice serves a single purpose: elegance. The wines are refined, perfumed, and harmonious — more approachable at the table than many of their Mosel or Nahe counterparts, yet no less impressive in finesse and balance.

Identity and Future Vision

Carl Koch’s vision is that of a modern, mindful viticulture, deeply rooted in tradition. Every bottle reflects German precision and artisanal sensitivity, with time and nature as the core elements. Production remains intentionally limited, rarely exceeding 2,000 bottles per label, making these wines true collector’s treasures. The pursuit of absolute quality is paired with an understated, elegant aesthetic that honors the transparency of the terroir. Carl Koch continues to prove that Rheinhessen can stand proudly alongside Germany’s most renowned regions, offering wines that are elegant, harmonious, and profoundly authentic.