MAX FERDINAND RICHTER


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Situated in the heart of the Mosel's finest vineyards, the Max Ferdinand Richter estate has been in the family for over 300 years. The family owns 48 acres of priceless vines on the magnificent stretch of the river between Erden and Brauenberg including all the best sites: Graacher Himmelreich, Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Brauenberger Juffer and Richter's monopole Veldenzer Eilsenberg. This is quite literally an embarrassment of riches. Richter's vines are sustainably farmed; all grapes are handpicked, fermented and matured in neutral oak casks. The wines tend to deliver toward the rich end of the spectrum, often seeming a Pradikat higher than the stated level on the bottle. This richness is balanced with remarkable freshness and minerality. Aromatic, juicy, and stony when young, these wines are capable of significant cellaring (3 decades or more)!

Reviews for this winery

Vinous

"Although he's less known to the general public than Ernie Loosen, Dirk Richter spends a great deal of time on the road and thus knows not only what his clients praise but also what they actually like to drink. "The only good bottle is the empty one" might well be the motto of this estate. Since Constantin Richter has come on board, little has changed. But the two men not only make wines that are fun, but also, as the purity of the Juffer-Sonnenuhr Spatlese amply proves, rieslings that I take seriously."

Joel B. Payne, January 2013

Mosel Fine Wines

After an almost legendary effort in 2015, the Richter dished up another glorious collection in 2016, marked by riper but juicy flavors and great zesty charm. The sweet spot clearly lies in the fruity side of the portfolio in 2016, with a string of outstanding Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese.

July 2017

Mosel Fine Wines

[2017] is yet another stunning collection of wines crafted by young Constantin Richter. While all single-vineyard wines (and especially those made in a fruity-style) are highly recommended, we have to underline the extremely high quality of the Estate’s “basic” wines.

August 2018

Vinous

This 1680-founded business crystallized as a wine estate in 1880. Previously, the Richter family ran a negociant and grocery business, transporting wine to the Low Countries and returning with coffee and other colonial goods to trade. When the business split in the 1880s, Richter became an important negociant, trading in the wines of famed Mosel estates as well as making its own. After World War II, the negociant side of the business stopped, and winemaking has since been the focus. Dirk Richter is the ninth generation of the family to run the estate, and he is still active in a sales role. Today, the business is run by his son Constantin Richter, a Geisenheim graduate who trained with Kesseler in the Rheingau and Hermann J. Wiemer in the U.S. Finger Lakes before joining his home estate in 2011. The first vintage under his charge was 2012. Today, Max Ferdinand Richter makes wine from 21 hectares, of which 95% are Riesling, with Weissburgunder, Pinot Noir and a field blend making up the rest.

All wines ferment spontaneously in Fuder and spend up to one year on gross lees. The wines’ inherently low pH levels prevent malolactic fermentation. Richter exports about 80%of their total production, with Kabinett as the mainstay. However, in this tasting, Richter presented a full and impressive spectrum of Mosel styles, from bone-dry to tooth-shatteringly sweet, ultra-concentrated TBAs with killer acid that will outlive us all.

Anne Krebiehl MW, December 2024

Alberta