Seehof

RHEINHESSEN, GERMANY

Those who remain “unwoke” to the current wine scene in the Rheinhessen may still write the region off as the land of Liebfraumilch—that mass-produced, semi-sweet wine that Germans would hardly deign to drink themselves, directing it instead toward unsuspecting export markets. But much as Beaujolais is no longer defined as Nouveau alone, this gently rolling river valley has undergone a viticultural renaissance. And that’s thanks, in large part, to a guy named Klaus Peter Keller.

OK—this isn’t the story of Klaus Peter Keller. (That story can be found on the Keller profile page.) This is the story of Florian Fauth (who happens to be Keller’s brother-in-law). Fauth is the 5th generation owner-winemaker of his family’s estate in Westhofen—an area characterized by its limestone soil. He farms plots in the village’s now-highly-regarded crus: Kirchspiel, Morstein and Steingrube. And his wines have garnered praise from German wine critics in-the-know for their understated yet crystalline clarity, their silken texture, zesty fruit and kinetic acidity. Fauth values purity over brute power, so it’s serendipitous that his vineyards have been blessed with the unique aspect and soil structure to give him the filigreed fine-ness he craves.

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