August Kesseler

THE HISTORY

When August Kesseler took over his parents’ establishment, which was founded in 1924, he was only 19 years old. Traditionally, bulk wine was produced and the vineyard area was just over six acres. Today, under August’s guidance, the estate has become one of the flagship producers of the Rheingau area and has also acquired an impressive international reputation. The estate spans 80 acres located in some of the best Rheingau sites, such as Assmannshäuser Höllenberg, Rüdesheim Berg, Schlossberg, Lorchhäuser Seligmacher, Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen, and many more. They produce 60% Riesling and 40% Pinot Noir and are a member of the VDP and the German Barrique-Forum. Max Himstedt, who joined the team in 1989, is the estate’s head winemaker, who has been pushing forward the production of world-class wines. Simon Batarseh, an ambitious oenologist, has been with the winery since 1993 and is August’s right-hand-man, working on both blending, sales, and exports. Together, August, Max, and Simon will continue to ensure quality wines are produced at the highest level and that sustainable practices are followed. 

THE TERROIR

The quality of a wine has its origins in the vineyard. It is crucial that the vineyards, which are informed by history, climate, and geography alike, are managed and controlled with quality always top of mind. The estate spans 80 acres located in some of the best Rheingau sites, such as Assmannshäuser Höllenberg, Rüdesheim Berg, Schlossberg, Lorchhäuser Seligmacher, Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen, and many more. The estate’s sites facing west and southwest on steep-sloped terraces are at an ideal position for producing unique wines. The Assmanshäuser Höllenberg is located on heat-storing slate-phyllite. Its microclimate and the porosity of the soil are especially wellsuited to the Spätburgunder wines, which have been produced for years on this site. From the central vineyard site of the Höllenberg, Kesseler obtains the grapes for the classic Spätburgunder wine with a high level of concentrated fruit aromas. The weathered slate of the Rüdesheim hills, due to their extremely steep nature and high temperatures between the vineyard rows as well as the porosity of the soils, produce Riesling wines with concentrated fruit flavors, excellent nuance, and a spirited yet stable acidity. The maturing process of the Kesseler wines takes place in a two-story wine cellar, which was carved out of the slate of the Assmanshäuser Höllenberg in 1793. Low cellar temperatures provide ideal fermentation conditions.