Moritz Kissinger - Chardonnay 2019
We drink from Moritz Kissinger a bottle of Chardonnay from 2019.
It’s been quite a while again since we had the unresisting entry into the Moritz Kissinger range in our glass. This range has since grown and there are sparkling wines, Sauvginon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and also red variants. And of course the Chardonnay, so this time only Chardonnay. The quantities are still rather small. From the 2019 vintage, which we have in the glass today, there were 987 bottles. In 2020, there are 1232. What the whole range has in common is the satisfaction of the inner label drinker. I’m a big fan of the design. The vines are farmed organically and with the current vintage the winery is Demeter certified. Moritz has been forced to age the 2019 Chardonnay in second or third use used wooden barrels, as the new barrels were already used in his debut vintage.
The wine has a slight note of reduction on the nose and a tiny bit of wood mixed with light yellow fruit. This is not in-your-face reduction, but rather subtle, restrained and giving contour. On the tongue, the Chardonnay has a lot of texture right from the start and most importantly, a lot of freshness. The mix of acidity and grip is really fun and doesn’t want to go away. The length is enormous. With air, the nose becomes even a bit less reductive and develops more fruit. Citrus, canned pear and an ethereal, very slightly perfumed note that I can’t place. Especially when you smell the empty glass, this ethereal note comes through super clearly. It’s still hard to nail it down though. What remains is the density and spiciness in the mouth along with the vibrant acidity. The wine seems calm and serene, but at the same time there is so much going on. It starts off really strong right out of the gate.
A day later, the nose is more herbal. The fruit has gone back a bit, there’s still wood and a bit of hand cream. This seems so cool and calm but has tremendous depth. You can, if you want to, always discover something new in the wine. And so it remains in the mouth. It seems a bit creamier now, but really only minimally, as the acidity continues to pack a punch. I find this even stronger than it was on the first evening anyway. I would also interpret this as a good sign for further development in the cellar and look forward to a second bottle in a few years. At least if that works with the patience until then. With even more air, the wine becomes softer on the nose and even more herbal. There’s a tart note and a bit of cider. It gets rounder and rounder and more and more harmonious but without losing the tension. I really really like this.