About this WINE
Dr.Deinhard/von Winning, Pfalz
Founded in 1849 by Dr.Deinhard, developed by his son-in-law Leopold von Winning in 1907, the estate was revived in 2007 by Achim Niederberger, together with the Bassermann-Jordan and von Buhl properties. Tragically Herr Niederberger died in 2013, with his wife Jana now continuing the great work.
Dr. Deinhard/von Winning estate draws on 42ha (of which 10ha are high density 9,000 plants/ha) of mainly Riesling vines among the villages of Ruppertsberg, Deidesheim, and Forst; villages that are central to the 23,000ha Pfalz region, Germany’s second warmest region (after Baden) whose 25 million yo sandstone, coral limestone and basalt soils lie on the east/southeast facing Haardt mountains, a northern extension of the Vosges, some 23km away from the river Rhine, looking across at the Black Forest; the perfect terroir then for fine dry Erste Lage and Grosses Gewächs Rieslings in particular.
Vinification takes place in a combination of barriques, big barrels and stainless-steel; the von Winning wines fermented with stalks (as per Knoll), benefitting from the phenols; free sulphur levels are a reasonable 40 mg/litre at bottling. Jana is supported by the team of: Kurt Rathgeber (head winemaker), Stephan Attmann, Andreas Hütwohl and Joachim Jaillet (vineyard manager). Their first vintage was the 2008.
Sauvignon Blanc
An important white grape in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley that has now found fame in New Zealand and now Chile. It thrives on the gravelly soils of Bordeaux and is blended with Sémillon to produce fresh, dry, crisp Bordeaux Blancs, as well as more prestigious Cru Classé White Graves.
It is also blended with Sémillon, though in lower proportions, to produce the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It performs well in the Loire Valley and particularly on the well-drained chalky soils found in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, where it produces bone dry, highly aromatic, racy wines, with grassy and sometimes smoky, gunflint-like nuances.
In New Zealand, Cloudy Bay in the 1980s began producing stunning Sauvignon Blanc wines with extraordinarily intense nettly, gooseberry, and asparagus fruit, that set Marlborough firmly on the world wine map. Today many producers are rivalling Cloudy Bay in terms of quality and Sauvignon Blanc is now New Zealand`s trademark grape.
It is now grown very successfully in Chile producing wines that are almost halfway between the Loire and New Zealand in terms of fruit character. After several false starts, many South African producers are now producing very good quality, rounded fruit-driven Sauvignon Blancs.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
Maybe it's because of Germany's northern latitude or the way Sauvignon Blanc behaves away from home (Loire) or indeed under screwcap, but this pungent, pear drop evocative Pfalz wine is a dead-ringer for something from New Zealand's Wairau Valley (Marlborough)! It may be only 12% alcohol, but it possesses much more 'stuffing' than its Kiwi counterpart. It's pinpoint, a hint of fresh grass, of cool wet stone aromas. Suave, fleshy, 'out there' with a distinctly 'sherbet dip' zing that suggests Germany, or an overdose of UV, or indeed Riesling! It's well-made but not too technical; it's pulpy and very moreish. Great space dust finish! And what a label too!
David Berry Green
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee