The origin is manifested
in the character

We pay more than lip service to our dedication to the term terroir, for many years it has been an expression of our respect for our soils and their unique and unmistakable characteristics.

Since 1990, we have been classifying our vineyards according to our own strict criteria. In this, we are following a centuries-old tradition, which has made the recognition of outstanding quality part of our every fibre.

This classification is based on geological and climatological findings and arrives at an almost identical picture to the historical site evaluation by the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1828. Not least because of the geographical similarity with the Côte-d'Or in Burgundy, these two systems were our inspiration for the estate's own classification. Our maxim is that the terroir determines the quality.

Healthy soils are our assets, this way the terroir comes into the wine.

BETTINA BÜRKLIN-VON GURADZE

Classification in the best of traditions

Since 1990, we have established a quality pyramid for our vineyards, based on both the Royal Bavarian classification of 1828 and the Burgundian principle:

Our G.C. wines can be considered the Grands Crus of the Mittelhaardt, they are outstanding solitaires of rare terroir, truly great wine personalities that cannot be fully appreciated in a brief moment. The wines are fermented and aged exclusively in large oak barrels and fermented with wild yeasts.

The P.C. classification should be seen as wines that would correspond to those from Premier Cru sites in Burgundy. These Riesling wines combine the characteristic features of the region with the individual expression of the respective terroir in a fascinating way. The P.C. wines are also fermented in large oak vats with wild yeasts.

Our village Riesling wines come exclusively from classified vineyards in Forst, Deidesheim, Ruppertsberg and Wachenheim and display the characteristic aromas and flavours of the wines from these sites. Our estate Riesling also follows this clear commitment to origin. It is a cuvée of our Riesling sites from the four villages of the Mittelhaardt and thus shows the unique terroir of this region.

We do all this not only for our benefit today, but for the preservation of this God-given natural resource, also for our children and further generations.

BETTINA BÜRKLIN-VON GURADZE

The Kirchenstück Vineyard –
the „Montrachet of the Pfalz“

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the Kirchenstück vineyard site for viticulture in the Pfalz. Surrounded by other famous vineyard sites of the town of Forst, such as the Jesuitengarten, Ungeheuer or Pechstein, this vineyard, which is only 3.6 hectares in extent, holds an outstanding position. In the royal Bavarian vineyard classification of 1828, the Kirchenstück was the only vineyard site to be rated with the maximum score of 65 points. It is said that two centuries before this in the Thirty Years of War, the Spanish general Fragipani expressed his reverence for this site, and ordered his soldiers to show their respect for this vineyard site by saluting it.

The Kirchenstück site in Forst is a gift of nature, unique in Germany in its complexity and distinctiveness. Nowhere else does a dry Riesling grow with greater complexity and at the same time with such elemental power and expression. This wine develops slowly at first, only after years of bottle ageing does it reveal its inner values to the wine connoisseur, which make this wine a true masterpiece: the unique terroir character, interwoven with the vintage characteristics, revealed through the careful treatment of our cellar master.

This wine combines body and power with beguiling elegance, a wealth of concentrated aromas is combined with the most elegant brilliance. The final „Wagnerian“ chord on the finish appears to disappear into eternity, and leaves many a taster simply speechless. A wine that cannot be appreciated in a passing moment.

This jewel of our appellations is the shining beacon that defines everything we do at the estate. It represents as no other site our constant striving for outstanding quality on our wine estate.

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