The Johann Peter Mertes winery is located in Kanzem, opposite the majestic steep vineyard Kanzemer Altenberg, on the old riverbed of the Saar. The wine village of Kanzem is practically an island, because due to the Saar canalization of the 1980s, the Saar splits at the Schoden weir into the navigable straight canal and the old Saar riverbed, which flows around Kanzem in a large loop. The Mertes family has been cultivating vines on this idyllic spot since 1891. Today, the winery is run by Johann Peter Mertes in the fifth generation. The profession of winemaker was practically his destiny. After school, he completed an apprenticeship as a winemaker, followed by studies in viticulture at the renowned university of applied sciences in Geisenheim. Consequently, he took over his father's business in 1992, applying his acquired know-how and expanding the operation. Today, the winery cultivates around 12 hectares of vines in famous steep vineyards in Kanzem, Wawern, Saarburg, and Ockfen. One of the most impressive vineyards in the Saar is the Kanzemer Altenberg. JP Mertes' "house mountain" is the largest contiguous steep vineyard in Europe. The longest rows are over 250 meters long, and the slope is incredibly steep. The unique microclimate in the immediate vicinity of the old Saar riverbed, as well as the heavily weathered, relatively deep slate soil with a high proportion of red slate, results in powerful, well-structured wines with fruity aromas and mild acidity. In contrast, Johann Peter Mertes' Rieslings from Ockfener Bockstein, another world-famous vineyard characterized by coarse greywacke and Devonian slate soils, appear more sparkling and have their strengths particularly in the fine-dry taste range. The portfolio of vineyards is completed by plots in Wawerner Goldberg and Wawerner Ritterpfad, two comparatively warm vineyards with deeper slate soils, as well as the monopole vineyard Saarburger Stirn, which is the sole property of the winery. The above-average quality of Johann Peter Mertes' wines has not gone unnoticed by the relevant wine guides. The winery is rated with 2 grapes in Gault & Millau and 2 stars in Eichelmann, and since 2016/17, Feinschmecker has counted the winery among the best wineries in Germany! In addition to the excellent wines, the winery has also made a name for itself with classic fruit brandies from its own distillery.



"Handwork as the key to success"

In cultivating the vines, Johann Peter Mertes relies on a combination of traditional winemaking craftsmanship and modern technology. Despite technical support, a great deal of manual labor is still necessary throughout the year, for example, to carry out pruning. Today, the winery cultivates 100% Riesling. In autumn, the grapes are selectively harvested by hand and...
Comment [MK3]: Take any suitable picture of the Kanzemer Altenberg vineyard (shooting by Othegraven) and then take it to the winery. There, depending on the wine and vintage, it is decided whether the grapes are pressed whole or macerated for a few hours first. The must is allowed to sediment overnight in a classic manner to separate it from coarse sediment. The next morning, the now clear must is filled into stainless steel tanks and fermented with natural yeasts to preserve the fresh fruit aroma of the wines and to bring out the characteristics of the individual vineyards.



"Invigorating, easy-drinking Rieslings with mild acidity"

This approach results in invigorating white wines with pronounced fruit aromas that promise great drinking pleasure! The wines consistently exhibit a great balance and fairly mild acidity, making them uncomplicated everyday wines and excellent food companions! They are quite accessible immediately after bottling, but also have considerable aging potential, as a freshly opened bottle of Kanzemer Altenberg Auslese 2010 recently impressively confirmed.

Bei der Bewirtschaftung der Reben setzt Johann Peter Mertes auf eine Kombination aus althergebrachtem Winzerhandwerk und moderner Technik. Trotz technischer Unterstützung ist im Laufe des Jahres nach wie vor viel Handarbeit nötig, um z.B. den Rebschnitt durchzuführen. Heute baut das Weingut 100% Riesling an. Im Herbst werden die Trauben selektiv von Hand gelesen und anschließend zur Kelter gebracht. Dort wird je nach Wein und Jahrgang entschieden, ob die Trauben direkt im Ganzen abgepresst oder zunächst für einige Stunden eingemaischt werden. Der Most wird klassisch über Nacht sedimentieren gelassen, um ihn von groben Trubstoffen zu trennen. Am nächsten Morgen wird der nun blanke Most in Edelstahltanks gefüllt und mit natürlichen Hefen vergoren, um die frische Fruchtaromatik der Weine zu erhalten und die Charakteristik der einzelnen Lagen herauszuarbeiten.

Durch diese Vorgehensweise entstehen animierende Weißweine mit ausgeprägtem Fruchtaroma, die große Trinkfreude versprechen! Die Weine weisen durch die Bank eine großartige Balance und recht milde Säure auf, was sie zu unkomplizierten Alltagsweinen und sehr guten Essensbegleitern macht! Dabei sind sie gleich nach der Abfüllung schon recht zugänglich, haben aber auch ein beachtliches Reifepotential, was eine taufrische Flasche Kanzemer Altenberg Auslese 2010 zuletzt eindrucksvoll bestätigte.