Dr Bürklin-Wolf Riesling Hommage à Luise 2022 (screw cap)

A new addition to the Bürklin-Wolf range and a return to the delicate Kabinett style not produced here for some time. The wine honours Luise Wolf (1847-1925), grand-daughter and heiress of Johann Ludwig Wolf, the owner of ‘outstanding vineyard sites in Wachenheim, Forst, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg’ to quote a merchant of the day. In 1875 Luise married Dr Albert Bürklin from Karlsruhe-Durlach, giving rise to the winery’s current name. Following their marriage, Albert moved to Wachenheim and helped expand the Estate to become a model of quality wine production. He later became the Vice-President of the Reichstag (the German parliament) from 1884-1895.

Fruit from cool vineyard sites close to the Pfalz forest between Wachenheim and Bad Dürkheim is whole-bunch pressed and wild-fermented in stainless steel, then matured on fine lees over winter in a mix of tank and large oak fuders (foudres). The modest residual sugar level is perfectly balanced with vibrant acidity helping to emphasise the purity of the fruit, leading to a refreshing, almost-dry finish. A perfect Riesling for any occasion and a great choice for vegetarian dishes, seafood and mildly spicy Asian cuisine. Or on its own as an aperitif.
9.51 % Alc/Vol; 35.6 g/l RS; 8.3 g/l TA.

‘Striking nose of hibiscus, bergamot and yellow apple. Juicy and zesty on the barely medium-bodied palate with bright citrusy acidity. Long wet stone and lemon zest finish where the hint of unfermented grape sweetness is very well integrated. From biodynamically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink now. Screw cap.’ 90 points, Stuart Pigott, JS Wine Ratings, July 2023.

'The collection of the 2022 vintage at Bürklin-Wolf is outstanding and marks one of the best vintages in the whole of Germany. The 2022 Pechstein G. C. is one of the outstanding Rieslings of the vintage, possibly even ahead of the even more expensive Kirchenstück G. C. If you want to find the finest Rieslings without having to bleed financially, you will also find them among the premiers crus, among which the Wachenheimer Gerümpel P. C. and the Böhlig P. C. come closest to the grands crus in terms of finesse and expression. In the last three years in particular, the Dr. Bürklin-Wolf has established itself as a model German domaine whose Rieslings are a benchmark.' Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate, December 2023.

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.