The Rheingau may be one of the historic heartlands of Riesling, but travel west, where the Rhine turns north at Rüdesheim, and the landscape changes dramatically. Around Assmannshausen, vineyards become steeper, slate and quartzite emerge, and Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) has a history stretching back centuries. Few modern producers have done more to establish its reputation than August Kesseler.
Kesseler took over his family's estate, founded in 1924, at just 19 years old. Then just six acres and focused on bulk wine, he transformed it into one of the Rheingau's benchmark estates, assembling holdings in some of the region's most celebrated vineyards and becoming an early champion of ambitious, age-worthy German Pinot Noir. His work beginning in the 1980s helped demonstrate the potential of Assmannshäuser Höllenberg, whose steep slate slopes have long been associated with Spätburgunder. Falstaff magazine awarded Kesseler its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.
But this is equally compelling Riesling country. Since 1995, Kesseler has been a member of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP)—an elite private association of about 200 top German wine estates, and his holdings span some of the Rheingau's most important, classified vineyards. The VDP places origin at the center of quality: VDP.ERSTE LAGE® identifies premier vineyard sites, while VDP.GROSSE LAGE® represents the highest classification—comparable in concept to Premier Cru and Grand Cru. A dry wine from a Grosse Lage that meets the VDP's exacting standards is designated VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS® (GG).
This collection explores both sides of Kesseler through Riesling and Pinot Noir, old vines and classified vineyards, and current releases alongside wines with bottle age.
Riesling: Steep Slopes & Slate
2017 August Kesseler, Lorcher Schlossberg Alte Reben (old vine) Riesling
92 points Wine Enthusiast | 91 points Wine Spectator
From approximately 50-year-old vines in the steep, pure-slate VDP.ERSTE LAGE® Lorcher Schlossberg. Hand-picked fruit is selected and vinified parcel by parcel before blending. With several years of bottle age, the 2017 combines ripe peach, grapefruit, pineapple and bergamot with a distinctly flinty mineral backbone and a long, powerful finish.
2024 August Kesseler, Lorcher Schlossberg Alte Reben Riesling
93 points Falstaff | 93 points James Suckling
The same old vines seven vintages later offer a compelling comparison. Fermented and matured entirely in stainless steel, the 2024 is precise and finely aromatic, with white peach, Meyer lemon and jasmine over cool slate minerality. Bright acidity is softened by a subtle touch of fruit sweetness, giving the wine a silky texture and long, harmonious finish.
2017 August Kesseler, Lorchhäuser Seligmacher Riesling GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE® (GRAND CRU)
95 points & Editor's Choice Wine Enthusiast | 92 points Wine Spectator
Seligmacher steps up to VDP.GROSSE LAGE®, the highest level of the VDP vineyard hierarchy. More than 50-year-old vines grow on an exceptionally steep, southwest-facing slope of pure slate near Lorchhausen. The fruit is hand-picked, rigorously selected and vinified parcel by parcel. The 2017 marries white peach and floral notes with herbs, wet stone and steel; full-bodied yet lifted by bright lime acidity and a persistent mineral edge.
2018 August Kesseler, Lorchhäuser Seligmacher Riesling GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE® (GRAND CRU)
94 points Wine Enthusiast | 93 points Wine Spectator | 90+ Wine Advocate | 90 Vinous
From the same steep, pure-slate grand cru site and vines, the 2018 is a broader, more powerful expression. Fermented in stainless steel, it combines yellow peach, citrus and floral notes with spice, white pepper and pronounced stony minerality. There is volume and creaminess here, but also the acidity and mineral tension to carry it for years.
Pinot Noir: The Other Side of the Rheingau
93+ points Falstaff | 93 points James Suckling
A compelling introduction to the village that made Kesseler's reputation. Fruit from select parcels on Assmannshausen's steep, slate-rich slopes is hand-picked, fermented in open vessels and matured in barrique. Red cherry, wild berries, flowers and subtle spice meet silky tannins and lively acidity, with the cool mineral character of Assmannshausen running through the finish.
2020 August Kesseler, Cuvée Max Pinot Noir
94 points James Suckling
Named for longtime winemaker Max Himstedt, Cuvée Max comes primarily from steep, slate- and quartzite-rich slopes in Assmannshausen and vines reaching up to 70 years old. Individual parcels are vinified separately before blending and élevage in barrique in Kesseler's historic cellar, dating to 1792. The 2020 is generous yet structured, layering dark cherry and spice with richness, firm tannins and a distinctly mineral freshness.
2022 August Kesseler, Assmannshausen Alte Reben ‘Cuvée Max’ Pinot Noir
95 points Vinous
Old vines and the slate slopes of Assmannshausen give this Pinot Noir its depth and mineral definition. Hand-picked and carefully selected fruit ferments in open vessels before maturation in barrique, building complexity while retaining fine tannins and varietal purity.
2016 August Kesseler, Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE® (GRAND CRU)
96 points, Falstaff
The pinnacle of the collection comes from Assmannshäuser Höllenberg, one of Germany's most celebrated Pinot Noir vineyards and the site at the heart of Kesseler's reputation. Fruit comes from the vineyard's finest parcels, where vines reaching up to 80 years old cling to steep, slate-dominated slopes. Grapes are harvested and selected by hand, with each parcel vinified separately before blending and maturation in barrique in the estate's historic 1792 cellar.
With more than a decade of age, the 2016 offers a chance to experience the complexity these wines can develop. Supple and generous, it combines warmth and depth with juicy bittersweet cherry, fresh herbs and spice—a powerful yet distinctly Assmannshausen expression of Pinot Noir.
