Dr Bürklin-Wolf Riesling Wachenheimer Gerümpel P.C. 2021

The Gerümpel vineyard in the village of Wachenheim is one of Germany's most famous vineyards, first mentioned in documents dated 1429. 13ha in total, Bürklin-Wolf's parcel amounts to 4.44ha. Gerümpel benefits from frequent warm winds, ensuring that the grapes dry quickly after rain, thus reducing the risk of fungal infection. This site is characterised by its capacity to produce healthy grapes, even when they are picked late. Its proximity to the Grand Cru vineyards of Forst (Pechstein G.C. is just over the fence), means that the Gerümpel profits from both the typical weathered sandstone of Wachenheim and the volcanic basalt from Forst.

'Impressive ripeness for this challenging vintage in the Pfalz. Complex aromas of orange, green and oolong tea with a hint of jasmine. Tightly wound and very focused with a racy acidity that gives this so much energy. Very slatey and crisp finish. From bio-dynamically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.’ 93 points, Stuart Pigott, JS Wine Ratings, August 2022.

'I can hardly imagine better wines were produced in the Pfalz than here last year. Most likely, the 2019 Kirchenstück G.C. and the Pechstein G.C., both from Forst, and even the Langenmorgen G.C. from Deidesheim, are among the finest dry Rieslings I have ever tasted from Germany. The wines are deep, rich, powerful and dramatic yet so fine and elegant and reveal vibrating energy that guarantees a long run.' Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate, August 2020.

The Bürklin-Wolf estate is based in the Mittelhaardt, the quality core of Germany's world-renowned Pfalz, around the towns of Wachenheim, Forst, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg. Here with 85ha under vine they have the largest family owned wine estate in all of Germany originating in 1597, with a treasure-trove of superb vineyards, at the centre of which lies the great Kirchenstück. Here in the tiny village of Forst, Kirchenstück and its neighbours Jesuitengarten, Ungeheuer and Pechstein, have for centuries been recognised as producing not only some of the world's greatest dry Rieslings, but simply some of the world's greatest wines. In the nineteenth century, prices for these wines exceeded the prices paid for 1st Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy.

In 1990 Bürklin-Wolf began reviewing their vineyard holdings in the context of the 1828 Royal Bavarian Land Tax Classification and after years of exhaustive research they discovered that today's top vineyards are exactly the same as those identified back in 1828. Today they have adopted a Burgundian model with four tiers: Estate, Village, PC (code for Premier Cru) and GC (for Grand Cru). Thus they are focussed on the production of dry, terroir-driven wines and no longer produce the Kabinett and Spätlese styles defined by the (still current) 1971 German Wine Law.