Jonas Dostert Chardonnay

Vintage: 2022

Origin: Mosel, Germany

Grapes: Chardonnay

Alcohol: 12%

This is perhaps the most direct wine in Jonas's entire lineup, and what a journey it's been to get here. After the chaos of recent vintages—2020's extreme drought followed by 2021's 180 litres of rain in July alone and massive downy mildew—2022 threw another curveball with spring lacking rain and July seeing just 3.5 litres fall when there should have been 100 litres per square metre. Jonas admits he'd "never looked at an upcoming harvest with such uncertainty," but this Chardonnay proves that sometimes the best wines come from the toughest years. Sourced from the "Filz" parcel (named after "Fels," meaning rocks), this extremely stony part of the vineyard gives the wine its backbone. The grapes were direct-pressed and fermented in used barriques from two distinct subsoils—one very deep, the other very rocky—and together they create something greater than the sum of their parts. What you get is classic Dostert: awash with green tones from crushed mint to green apple skins, loads of citrus, and that lean, taut character that's both searing and seductive. It's profoundly clean on the palate, compact and faceted like all his wines, with just enough élevage to add expansive softness without losing that primal, elegant edge. The nose brings white blossoms, dried garden herbs, lemons with lime zest, crisp apples and pears, whilst the palate shows ripe stone fruit and citrus with a salty, mineral finish that won't quit. It's a wine with real fullness and juice yet stays precise and straightforward—no wonder Jonas has finally made peace with this challenging vintage.