Winemaker Notes
For this wine made from 100% Pinot Noir only the best, fully-ripe grapes were picked by hand. As the old vineyard (30 years old) from which the grapes were harvested is located beside the winery, the grapes could be pressed very quickly. To guarantee the best quality possible the grapes were pressed as whole clusters with only half the pressure of a regular pressing process. As a result the color of the wine is bright and very clean.
The juice was then fermented under temperature-control for four weeks. After the fermentation the wine was aged sur lie (on the yeast) for four months. Therefore the wine is very fruity with a crisp, refreshing acidity, on the other side it has a wonderful harmony and depth.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
This sunny and relatively dry region served for many years as a German tourist mecca and was associated with low cost, cheerful wines. But since the 1980s, it has gained a reputation as one of Germany’s more innovative regions, which has led to increased international demand.