Silvaner Naturwein / Amphore Landwein trocken 2020

Romana Echensperger MW 06/22: Slightly cloudy and amber-coloured in the glass. It shows aromas of meadow herbs, hay flowers, quince jelly, yeast and aniseed. The wine has a vibrant, lively texture. Demonstratively dry; moderately fresh acidity and the bitter twist typical of Silvaner make it invigorating. This is a wine which does not remain constant and is hence most thought-provoking.

The altitude of the Heerkretz and its exposure to wind on the western side ensure a long and acidity-preserving ripening period for the grapes. There is always a little wind in this vineyard and hence the grapes are able to dry off after the rain and stay healthy for a long time. The cool climate at this border wine-growing area of Rheinhessen allows us to vinify unique wines that are both fresh and cool. The porphyry soils of the GROSSE LAGE HEERKRETZ and the high-altitude sites at 260 m above sea level offer special potential for cool, complex and elegant wines as the grapes ripen more slowly in these sites, which are quite high in elevation for viticulture.

Porphyry soil of GROSSE LAGE HEERKRETZ and high-altitude sites at 260 m above sea level. The acidic porphyry rock (volcanic rock) gives our Silvaner and Rieslings an intense, salty minerality and their unmistakably elegant character. With a gradient of about 30%, it is predominantly steep here on the western side of the HEERKRETZ at about 260 m above sea level, and hence our Silvaner (and also Riesling) grow in one of the highest and also coolest sites in Rheinhessen. About 280 million years ago, the HEERKRETZ was an active volcano at its heart. However, it never erupted and cooled over time. Therefore, the soil today consists mainly of weathered porphyry, which is challenging to cultivate as it dries quickly and becomes rock-hard. Working the soil work was really strenuous, especially in times gone by. This is the reason for the name "Kretz" which means "to scratch". The "Heer" part of the name comes from the old Heer road, which is still in the valley and goes towards Neu-Bamberg.

Selective manual harvesting of very ripe and healthy grapes on 23.9.2020 at 95 degrees Oechsle.

The grapes were de-stemmed and fermentation, as well as one year's ageing, took place in amphoras.

Manually bottled without filtering at the end of 2021.