Saumagen Spätburgunder Trocken 2020

The Koehler-Ruprecht winery is known for its remarkable Palatinate Rieslings. But winemaker Dominik Sona is not the only master of this grape variety. With this vintage, he proves that he also has success with Pinot Noir . The grapes were picked by hand. The winemaker gently presses the fruit when it arrives in the cellar and lets the juice ferment spontaneously with its native yeasts. The wine will then be aged in large 1200 liter oak barrels and old 300 liter barrels for 1 and a half years. A light filtration is carried out before bottling. This wine reveals aromas of morello cherry , blackcurrant , blueberry , redcurrant , mushrooms , forest spices , leather and cloves . The palate reveals a silky and elegant wine with a beautiful structure and delicate tannins. The finish is dry and tasty.

Germany has a long and illustrious history of viticulture. The Romans established the country's first vineyards along the banks of the Moselle River, near the present-day city of Trier. In the third century AD, plantations spread to various neighboring valleys, mainly those of the tributaries of the Moselle. In the Middle Ages, the Christian church, particularly the Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries, had a great influence on the development of viticulture and the production of quality wine in Germany. Germany has always been renowned for its excellent white wines: a little sweet, low in alcohol but always of high quality. However, in recent years, wine drinkers have tended to prefer drier wines. Consequently, the German market has evolved to cater to all tastes with some splendid dry Rieslings and other varieties of other white wine, such as Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Grauburgunder. Hotter summers and milder winters have also favored rosés and reds, with Pinot Noir being the third most planted grape variety in the country. So make your choice, from traditional Rieslings to great reds, the range is wide and still growing. The German wine industry lost its way in terms of quality during the 20th century, expanding plantings to less favorable sites and increasing yields to levels where quality was severely compromised. However, Germany's largest wine producers were never completely lost and since the end of the 20th century, considerable efforts have been made to restore Germany's former glory. Yields are now limited by law and many leading producers have joined forces to form the VDP association (see German wine labels). Members of the VDP association are required by members to focus their efforts on quality rather than quantity. In terms of volume, Germany is among the top ten countries in the world for annual wine production. Just over 60% of the wine produced is white, and it is widely accepted that the white wines from Germany's best sites and most renowned producers are among the greatest in the world. Germany's red wines are also growing in popularity and quality, particularly those from Spätburgunder, the local name for Pinot Noir. The second most popular red grape variety (in terms of hectares planted, at least) is Dornfelder.