Chardonnay Réserve – 2015

Ripe apple, mocha, and a salty pull

The 2015 Chardonnay Réserve is a vintage sparkling wine from a warm year, made from pure Chardonnay grapes grown on limestone soils in the Palatinate and Rheinhessen regions. This is not a lean aperitif sparkling wine, but rather a sparkling wine with weight and a salty pull.

Chardonnay Réserve 2015 is the powerful vintage sparkling wine from the Raumland sparkling wine estate in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, sourced from Bockenheim in the Palatinate and Mölsheim in Rheinhessen. A total of 14,670 bottles and 430 magnums of this Raumland vintage were produced; the cellar could yield no more. Anyone looking for a German Chardonnay sparkling wine with depth will sooner or later end up with this bottle.

Ripe apple, citrus zest, and a hint of iodine

On the nose, ripe apple and pear meet citrus zest, backed by brioche, toasted almonds, and a delicate spice.

On the palate, this transforms into something unusual, as a salty pull pushes through between the mocha and iodine notes, making the sip remarkably drinkable. 7.6 grams of acidity per liter set the course, while 4.0 grams of residual sugar merely rounds off the edges. It sits in the glass creamy, precise, and mineral-driven, with a finish that takes its time.

2015 began mild, became hot and dry, and ended with rain as temperatures dropped, which allowed the grapes to achieve both ripeness and acidity. Years like this produce sparkling wines that are bolder and spicier than those from cooler vintages.

Pairs with scallops, poultry, and aged Comté

This Réserve belongs at the dinner table rather than at a standing reception, as it simply has too much substance.

Pan-seared scallops complement it well, as does fried fish with brown butter, and a poularde in cream sauce effortlessly stands up to its richness. An aged Comté hits the salty pull so precisely that both sides win. Even on its own, without a plate nearby, it loses none of its class.

It shows best at 10 to 12 degrees in a Burgundy glass rather than a flute, as otherwise the mocha note does not fully emerge. Beside it, many aperitif sparkling wines suddenly seem very young.

A quarter in barrique, the rest in steel

For this vintage, Volker Raumland aged 75 percent of the base wines in stainless steel and put 25 percent into barrique, which broadens the Chardonnay without weighing it down. The sparkling wine then spent over 90 months on the lees, and was riddled and disgorged by hand.

The malolactic fermentation softens the acidity, leaving it as tension rather than a sharp edge. It was bottled with 12 percent alcohol, from organically farmed vineyards, as the estate is certified for all 14 hectares.

Katharina Raumland studied oenology and has been working in the business since 2019; the family officially handed it over to her in December 2025.

Robert Parker awarded the vintage 96 points, Falstaff and Vinum each gave it 93, and it took first place at the 2024 Burda Wine Test. Quite impressive. If you are looking for the cooler alternative, you will find it in the 2013 Chardonnay Réserve, and we offer more sparkling wines from Flörsheim-Dalsheim in our large sparkling wine assortment.