Raumland Sekt – Cuvée Katharina Brut Nature

The Sekthaus Raumland Sekt Cuvée Katharina 2018 is a Blanc de Noir Brut Nature, meaning a dry white sparkling wine made from red grapes, with no added dosage. First produced in 1993 for the birth of the second daughter Katharina, but because the Chamber of Agriculture would not approve a sparkling wine with the addition "Blanc de Noir," and Volker Raumland did not want to write "white pressed from red grapes" on it, it was given the beautiful name of the Raumland daughter. Since then, it has been an indispensable part of the Raumland Sekt range.

The current 2018 vintage spent four years on the lees from 2019 until the end of 2022. The Cuvée Katharina is a complex sparkling wine, full-bodied and powerful with good structure and great length. This traditional sparkling wine has aromas of apple, red currants, and figs, shows subtle notes of brioche and walnuts, a slight smokiness from wet stone, and possesses depth. As a Brut Nature, this cuvée is puristic, acidic, and firm, and also exhibits a slight creaminess and fresh texture.

With its uncomplicated finesse and velvety length, the Cuvée Katharina is an excellent food companion for fish, shellfish, and white meats.

Cuvée Katharina – a sparkling wine and its characteristics

• 72 % Pinot Noir
• 28 % Pinot Meunier
• 12 % Vol. Alcohol
• 7 g/l Acidity
• 1.3 g/l Dosage
• Tirage July 2019
• 01–23 disgorged

awarded – well-rated

• 93 points Gault Millau
• 89 points Eichelmann
• Second place in the Burgundy Sekt category at the Meininger Deutscher Sektpreis 2020

Sekthaus Raumland – Sekt Tradition

The Sekthaus Raumland from Flörsheim Dalsheim in Rheinhessen produces premium German sparkling wine that stands up to international comparison.

Volker Raumland is a pioneer when it comes to traditional bottle fermentation in Germany. He has done great things for German Sekt. Not least, he played a significant role in the development of the VDP.SEKT.STATUT manifesto in cooperation with the VDP. Sekthaus Raumland was the first pure Sekt estate to become a member of the VDP. Now, the second generation, daughters Marie-Luise and Katharina, are ready to take over. Now, female power sparkles in the glass.

The grapes for Raumland Sekte of the Tradition line come from organically cultivated vineyards, are 100% hand-picked, followed by gentle whole-bunch pressing, and the base wines are not filtered. After selective cuvée blending, the bottles are aged for at least 36 months, or three years, according to the Méthode Traditionnelle, meaning the second fermentation takes place in the bottle on the lees. Passion, craftsmanship, and dedication best describe the wonderfully effervescent, elegant, finessed, and finely fruity traditional Sekte.

For Cuvée Katharina, the focus is on Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The Pinot Noir grapes for this traditional Sekt grow on nearly 30-year-old vines in the Dalsheimer Bürgel vineyard on Terra Fusca, a clay-rich, dense soil with limestone-brown loam, in Rheinhessen.

Gentle pressing, aging of the base wines 72% in stainless steel and 28% in wooden barrels, malolactic fermentation, second fermentation in the bottle, and long lees aging are prerequisites for this quality, a complex aroma spectrum, and the special fine perlage of their Sekte.

"Despite numerous weather extremes and unusual weather patterns, the 2018 sparkling wine year will be remembered for a long time. The year began with a long, rather wet winter. This allowed the soils to store a lot of water, which was extremely beneficial for the hot 'summer of records.' The often-titled 'century summer' was ultimately sunny and dry. The extraordinary conditions led to excellent qualities with 100% healthy grapes, which produced very clear and accessible Sekte. Emotionally, we also set a milestone for the following decades in 2018 with the start of the second generation. We couldn't be happier," the Raumlands describe the current vintage.

"Good taste is not objective – it is not measurable. It has taken many years of patience and countless attempts to get closer to the big goal in small steps: to achieve the optimum from the variety of our grape varieties, traditional methods, and currently available possibilities. That is our vision, which challenges us anew every day," the Raumland family knows exactly.