2025 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Kabinett Riesling | Dual 93 Point German Riesling

A beautifully energetic Kabinett from the legendary red-slate vineyards of the Roter Hang

Great vineyards. Historic producer. 93 points. Just $42.

93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

Rheinhessen, Germany | Roter Hang | RRP $42 | 100% Riesling | Off-Dry • Mineral • Electric • Delicious

“A wonderfully vibrant expression of Riesling — citrus, peach and red apple driven by racy acidity, wet-stone minerality and the unmistakable spicy character of the Roter Hang.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Brilliant pale straw with youthful green reflections — pristine, vibrant and beautifully bright.

Aroma: Immediately expressive, with ripe citrus, lemon zest, pear, peach and red apple, followed by delicate rose petals, fresh herbs and a distinctly flinty, stony character.

There's a subtle smoky edge that makes you immediately realise this isn't simply about fruit.

There's serious terroir underneath.

Palate: Light-bodied, juicy and incredibly energetic.

The wine carries some residual sweetness, but the acidity is so vibrant and the mineral character so pronounced that it tastes considerably drier than the numbers would suggest.

Pear, lime, nectarine and red apple flow across the palate before that wonderful red-slate spice and wet-stone minerality takes over.

There's tension.

There's freshness.

There's energy.

And there is ridiculous drinkability.

Finish: Long, incredibly clean and mineral, with citrus, slate and ripe orchard fruit lingering beautifully.

There's even a delicate natural spritz that adds another layer of freshness.

Critical Acclaim

93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling's Stuart Pigott describes the 2025 as an unusually cool and delicate expression of Rheinhessen Riesling.

He highlights its:

Racy energy

Wet-stone minerality

Sleek, light-bodied structure

and

Long, extremely clean finish.

He also notes that the combination of acidity and mineral intensity makes the wine feel much drier than it actually is.

Drink or hold.

And that's exactly the attraction.

This has all the deliciousness you want from Kabinett, but there's genuine structure and terroir underneath.

The Roter Hang – One of Germany's Great Riesling Landscapes

Here's where this becomes seriously interesting for a $42 bottle.

The fruit comes from the famous:

ROTER HANG

or:

“RED SLOPE.”

This dramatic stretch of vineyards rises above the Rhine between Nackenheim and Nierstein.

And it is home to some very serious vineyard names.

The Jean Baptiste draws fruit from lower terraces associated with three of Gunderloch's greatest sites:

ROTHENBERG

PETTENTHAL

HIPPING

These are names that serious German Riesling drinkers know extremely well.

Gunderloch's top dry wines from these vineyards sit much further up the price ladder.

Jean Baptiste gives you a taste of that terroir for $42.

That's the killer part of the story.

Red Slate, Iron & Stone

The Roter Hang is immediately recognisable.

Why?

The soil is red.

Its ancient red slate and weathered rock are rich in iron oxide, giving the hillside its extraordinary reddish colour.

And that geology leaves a distinctive fingerprint on the wines.

The best Roter Hang Rieslings aren't simply fruity.

They can have a fascinating combination of:

Slate

Spice

Iron

Smoke

Citrus

Acidity

It's a savoury, mineral character that gives Riesling from this part of Rheinhessen a real sense of place.

And you can see it beautifully in Jean Baptiste.

What Is Kabinett?

Kabinett is one of Germany's great Riesling styles.

And when it's done properly:

It's dangerously drinkable.

These wines are typically picked at relatively modest must weights and retain naturally low alcohol.

The 2025 Jean Baptiste sits at approximately:

9.5% ALCOHOL

That means enormous flavour without weight.

The wine is technically off-dry, carrying around 25–28g/L residual sugar, but it's balanced by almost 10g/L of acidity.

That acidity changes everything.

Rather than tasting overtly sweet, the wine comes across as:

Juicy.

Racy.

Mineral.

Fresh.

Energetic.

The sweetness gives you fruit.

The acidity gives you tension.

The slate gives you minerality.

And together they're bloody delicious.

Gunderloch – A Historic Rheinhessen Estate

Gunderloch is one of the great historic names of Rheinhessen.

Founded by Carl Gunderloch in 1890, the estate has built its reputation around Riesling and the extraordinary vineyards of the Roter Hang.

Today the estate is led by sixth-generation winemaker:

JOHANNES HASSELBACH.

Johannes has continued to push Gunderloch forward, focusing increasingly on vineyard expression, organic viticulture and the individuality of these remarkable red-slate sites.

The estate is also one of the historic founding members of the VDP, Germany's prestigious association of leading wine estates.

This is serious Riesling pedigree.

The Jean Baptiste Story

The wine is named after the founder of the estate.

And it has become one of Gunderloch's great-value expressions.

Rather than being sourced from anonymous vineyards, the fruit comes from some extraordinary real estate.

Depending on the vintage and parcel selection, Jean Baptiste draws from the lower terraces of Gunderloch's top Roter Hang vineyards, with Pettenthal particularly important in 2025.

These lower sections have somewhat deeper soils and slightly cooler conditions than the steepest upper sections.

That makes them perfect for Kabinett.

You retain freshness.

You retain acidity.

You retain that gorgeous fruit.

And crucially:

You retain the mineral signature of the Roter Hang.

Organic Viticulture

The 2025 was produced from:

ORGANICALLY GROWN GRAPES

with FairChoice certification.

The fruit was selectively harvested, gently pressed and partly fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel.

The objective isn't to impose winemaking character.

It's to preserve freshness and vineyard expression.

And at only 9.5% alcohol, there's virtually no weight getting in the way.

Another 93 Points – Vinous

There's actually another very good score worth knowing about.

93 POINTS – VINOUS

Master of Wine Anne Krebiehl found the 2023 particularly impressive, highlighting its flinty reduction, lemon zest, stone, iron oxide, red apple and citrus.

She describes the wine as having real:

“tension, energy and excitement.”

And gives it a drinking window extending all the way out to:

2050.

That's extraordinary for a wine with an RRP of $42.

So this isn't simply a cheap, cheerful Kabinett.

There's real substance underneath the drinkability.

Food Pairings

This style of Riesling is absolutely brilliant with food.

Particularly anything with chilli, spice or salt.

Try it with:

• Thai green curry
• Vietnamese salads
• Sushi & sashimi
• Spicy tuna
• Pork belly
• Korean fried chicken
• Indian curries
• Salt and pepper squid
• Fresh prawns
• Wiener Schnitzel

The little touch of sweetness handles spice beautifully, while the acidity cleans everything up.

It's one hell of a food wine.

Why We Love It

This might be one of the smartest buys in the Gunderloch range.

Look at what you're getting:

Historic German Riesling estate

100% Riesling

Roter Hang

Red slate & iron-rich soils

Fruit associated with Pettenthal, Rothenberg & Hipping

Organically grown

Nearly 10g/L acidity

Just 9.5% alcohol

93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

93 Points – Vinous

And then:

RRP $42.

That is outstanding value.

You can spend serious money buying Gunderloch's great single-vineyard dry Rieslings.

And they're worth it.

But Jean Baptiste gives you a beautifully transparent introduction to the same producer and the same extraordinary Roter Hang landscape for a fraction of the price.

2025 GUNDERLOCH JEAN BAPTISTE RIESLING KABINETT

Rheinhessen, Germany

93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

93 Points – Vinous

RRP $42

Roter Hang.

Red slate.

Top vineyard pedigree.

Organic fruit.

9.5% alcohol.

Racy acidity.

Beautiful fruit.

Ridiculous drinkability.

This is exactly what great Kabinett should be.

Light enough to disappear frighteningly quickly.

Complex enough to keep serious Riesling drinkers interested.

And mineral enough to tell you exactly where it came from.

93 Points. RRP $42. Gunderloch. Roter Hang.

Outstanding value — and one of those Rieslings I'd happily buy by the dozen.