As every year, my wine trip starts in the Palatinate. The first months belong to barrel samples, conversations in the cellar, and that slow, patient process of actually understanding a vintage. Or, in the case of the Seckinger brothers, the freshly bottled wines from the previous year. The 2024s are now just ahead of release.
Max Kaindl, January 25, 2025
Reading time about 7 minutes
Seckinger 2024 –
utterly individual
Successful revolution or regression to the old days?
At Weingut Seckinger, 2024 feels like the logical continuation of what 2023 set in motion. The second vintage after the stylistic shift. Or better, after returning to a new old core. Tighter, saltier, more complex. And above all, remarkably balanced. This is not nervous fine tuning, not a “let’s see what happens.” These wines show a clear line and real focus.
What impresses me every single year is the cohesion of the collection. It just makes sense as a whole. And it does so without even remotely copying the successful signatures of the region’s big names. Once you’ve tasted Seckinger with intention, you recognise them again. That kind of recognisability is not a given. It’s the result of consistency and continuous refinement of their own idea of wine. And that’s exactly where many fall short.
The 2024s are fresh, approachable, often shaped by well integrated reduction, built with verticality in mind, and juicy at the core. A vintage that doesn’t need to be loud to make an impact.
My tasting notes
Riesling
In der oberen Petershöhle Riesling, 2024
A wine that does not speak, it whispers. Dark, peppery, fiercely self contained. The fruit is fine and held back, almost floating over a dense, very firm structure. Everything feels composed, gathered, precise. The salinity is subtle but constant. In the reductive finish you get serious depth.
A quiet giant that will take its time before showing its full potential.
Ölberg Riesling, 2024
Noticeably darker in character than Reiterpfad. Spicy, almost earthy, with depth and seriousness. On the palate it is taut, salty, built with real rigor. The body feels firm and compact, with zero soft focus. The finish is long, dense, savory salty, and demanding.
A wine that does not trade on charm, but on structure. It asks for attention and gives plenty back.
1 Tal Riesling, 2024
Here everything clicks. The oak is noticeable, but perfectly integrated, adding shape and depth without showing off. Markedly reductive, very concentrated, with racy acidity and a firm, almost stoic core. Extremely salty, gripping, with huge traction. The finish feels carved from stone: savory, dry, very long.
A Riesling with real ambition and a clear, highly individual direction.
Reiterpfad Riesling, 2024
This is where things turn more savory. Herbal underneath, with floral hints and a juicy, yellow toned fruit that adds depth without weight. The wine runs vertical across the palate, focused, with a fine salty trace in the background. The acidity is present but well integrated, the structure clear.
Not a loud Reiterpfad, but one with substance and length, and it keeps opening with air.
Langenmorgen Riesling, 2024
Youthful and juicy, initially a little open and almost fragile. It melts across the palate, then bites back surprisingly in the finish. With air it gains clearly in salt and savory bite, the structure tightens. Not fully knit yet, but the potential is obvious.
A Langenmorgen that needs time and deserves it.
Kieselberg Riesling Wurzelecht, 2024
This is precision at the highest level. Brutally clear, built on a vertical axis, salty to the core. Dark and savory, yet incredibly fine and nimble. The reduction is there, but woven in with real elegance. Everything feels vibrating, electric, almost weightless, and still massively dense. The length is striking, the echo fine and calm. A wine that does not need volume to show greatness.
For me, one of the strongest wines of the collection, and one of my German highlights from the 2024 vintage.
Kirchberg Riesling Vinotheksfüllung, 2024
On the nose there is a slight lactic note at first, giving the wine a softer feel. On the palate it is juicy, almost a touch too broad for a moment, before the acidity steps in and pulls everything back into line. Not a power play, but a fine, balanced Kirchenberg that speaks more through texture than sheer tension. Elegant, approachable, with a good sense of inner order.
A wine that gives early pleasure without being banal.
Herrgottsacker Riesling, 2024
The opening feels deliberately open and inviting. Juicy and clear, with cool freshness and a lively, well integrated acidity that carries the wine without taking over. The fruit stays bright and precise, nothing overripe, more apple and citrus than stone fruit. On the palate it melts a little, but never turns generic. The length is a surprise. The finish is clean and mouthwatering.
A Riesling that is not trying to impress, just to make you want the next glass. Very drinkable, very cleanly made.
Chardonnay
Kapellenberg Chardonnay, 2024
More present and dense, with a gripping, very well integrated reductive edge. Savory, dark, juicy, with real drive across the palate. Salty, precise, built with tension and clarity. The finish is long, finely savory, and very focused.
A Chardonnay with clear origin and big inner tension.
Linse Chardonnay, 2024
Lightly reductive, but noticeably more open than in previous vintages. Citrus driven, salty, with cleanly integrated oak. The fruit is ripe but never overripe, the wine feels accessible and clear. The core could use a bit more tension, but balance and length are right.
The lower level of reduction compared to earlier years suits it very well.
Pinot Noir
Maikammer Spätburgunder, 2024
Ripe, dark fruit, juicy and approachable. The tannins are fine, slightly drying, giving structure without getting in the way. Good freshness, clean flow.
Not a big drama Pinot, but very coherent.
Hammbacher Schlossberg Spätburgunder, 2024
Fine and dense at the same time. Red fruited, with sanguine, meaty notes. The acidity is racy, the tannin fine and well integrated. Very balanced, with quiet power and a long, elegant finish.
Really well done.
Kapellenberg Spätburgunder, 2024
Very expressive fruit, almost flirting with opulence. Cherry driven, deep, dense, with very present oak. Racy acidity, fine tannin, high complexity. The finish is long, gripping, slightly drying.
Stylistically not quite mine, but the craftsmanship is strong. A wine with significant ageing potential.
A Lasting Impression
Seckinger 2024 confirms what 2023 already hinted at. The Seckingers know exactly where they stand, and where they’re headed. This collection is not a loud statement, but a precise refinement of a very distinctive idea of wine.
What’s happening in Niederkirchen near Deidesheim is not a style built for quick applause. It’s built for people who actually listen. For me, Seckinger remains one of the most exciting addresses in the Palatinate, and 2024 is a vintage that underlines that position. Quiet, consistent, and packed with inner tension.
Pictures: © The Art of Riesling – Maximilian Kaindl
