Single Item Red Wine – 2018

Markus Schneider Einzelstück – Portugieser from the Palatinate

The Markus Schneider Einzelstück 2018 is an impressive red wine made from Portugieser grapes, grown on old vines that were planted 100 years ago in the Ellerstadt fields. The Einzelstück is a passion project of Markus Schneider, a special wine that is only vinified in truly exceptional years.

Portugieser has a long tradition in the Palatinate; young vines may produce high yields, but often result in thin wines. This is not the case with these Portugieser grapes grown in Markus Schneider's oldest vineyard plots. The gnarled, bony vines, located in the "Mittelwanne"—a roughly 6-hectare plot 90 meters above sea level—yield only small amounts of concentrated berries.

The Portugieser grape variety began its journey in the 18th century from Portugal via the Balkans and Lower Styria in Slovenia to Germany. It is not very demanding in terms of location and thrives even on nutrient-poor, sandy soils. Furthermore, it is productive and flavorful, producing mild red wines with comparatively low tannins that are ready to drink early on.

The Einzelstück from Markus Schneider displays a dense bouquet of red fruits, such as sour cherries and freshly picked plums; dark cocoa and vanilla join in, while roasted notes and cloves round out the impressions. On the palate, it is delicate yet punchy, elegant and full of finesse, with soft tannins and a long-lasting finish.

Markus Schneider – Winemaking

The grapes for this red wine from Markus Schneider grow on nearly hundred-year-old Portugieser vines on sandy soils in Ellerstadt in the Palatinate. At the right moment, the small, ripe grapes are harvested by hand and gently processed in the modern estate buildings. Following classic mash fermentation with stems in open vats and a maceration period of 5 days, the mash is gently pressed under low pressure and subsequently aged in multi-year wooden barrels without external intervention.

We store our wines professionally in the dark and at a constant temperature in modern rooms climate-controlled by geothermal energy and photovoltaic systems.

Einzelstück – a wine and its values

• 14% vol. alcohol
• 5.7 g/l acidity
• 3.3 g/l residual sugar