Delheim & Hammel Staying Alive Riesling 2022

Staying Alive Riesling is a collaboration between Stellenbosch property Delheim and Hammel & Cie who have been making wine in Kirchheim, a town in Germany’s Pfalz region since 1723.

The wine is the culmination of a four-decade friendship between Christoph Hammel, the ninth-generation winemaker at Hammel, and the Sperlings of Delheim, Christoph having acquired initial experience under the late Delheim founder Spatz Sperling in the 1980s.

Grapes were sourced from two blocks, the one planted in 1984 and the other in 2007 while fermentation took place using the highly beneficial yeast 1895C, this isolated from an 1895 vintage Swiss wine tasted in 2008. As for maturation, this lasted six months in  two concrete eggs as well as new 500-litre oak barrels with acacia heads. For the geeks, analysis is as follows: Alc: 13.1% RS 4g/l TA 6.7g/l pH 3.11.

Compelling aromatics of lime, lemon and white peach with notes of blossom and spice in the background precede a palate that has dense fruit, driving acidity and a pithy finish. Compact and tightly wound, this automatically takes its place among the best renditions of the variety in South Africa. Price: R375 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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