Barth Riesling Brut: Rheingau Sparkling Done Right

Mark Barth, based in Hattenheim in the Rheingau, is known in Germany as the Riesling Master, according to his importer. At the top of his range sits a Sekt with Grosse Lage classification, which Amar says is the first and only sparkling wine in Germany with that status. Amar of Bubbels van Amar imports Barth and sent me the entry-level bottle for a Sparks recording: the Barth Riesling Brut.

What’s in the bottle

• Riesling from the Rheingau, from Barth’s own vineyards
• Traditional method (second fermentation in bottle)
• 24 months in bottle, longer than the roughly 15-month minimum most Champagnes sit at
• Certified organic according to the label; Amar says all of Barth’s sparkling wines are vegan as well

The Rheingau is not known as a dry region, so organic farming there is not a given. Amar agreed when I raised it; how Barth manages it did not come up.

Tasting note

Pour it and a big bouquet of flowers comes up, with the aromas you expect from Riesling: apple, lime, a little peach and honey. The mousse is fine and well integrated, with no heavy toast or oak.

The acidity is what caught my attention. After the second fermentation in bottle it often drops back a little; this one is still crisp and fresh. Amar says the Grosse Lage from the same range is a good deal more complex, whereas here you mostly taste Riesling’s tension and fruit.

At the table

Amar pours his sparkling wines through dinner as well as at the welcome. He expects sparkling wine to get more attention at the table, particularly the more complex bottles with long ageing in bottle.

Price and position

€19.95 for Barth’s entry tier. Amar’s cheapest sparkler, from Luxembourg, costs €14.95; sparkling wine is labour-intensive, he says, which is why it costs more than still wine. He calls this bottle Barth’s entry level. Having tasted it, I did not think the label fitted.

Available at bubbelsvanamar.nl. Amar sells single bottles online and also pours at tastings and events.

Caveats

I tasted one bottle, sent by the importer, and nearly all the background on Barth comes from Amar. He offered the claim that the Grosse Lage Sekt is Germany’s first and only one with a caveat of his own, and I have not checked it myself. And this review covers the entry-level bottle: the classification Barth is known for sits on a pricier wine from the range.

Producer

Wein- und Sektgut Barth

Wine

Riesling Brut

Region

Rheingau

Country

Germany

Grape

Riesling

Price

€19.95

Importer

Bubbels van Amar

Prices in this article date from April 2025. Check the current price with the seller.

Sources

• Wein- und Sektgut Barth (official, Rheingau): weingut-barth.de
• VDP Rheingau: Erste Lage / Grosse Lage classification: vdp.de