Mirabelle plum, candied lemon, and a hint of salted caramel
The XVI Triumvirat Grande Cuvée Brut 2016 is the prestige cuvée from the Raumland sparkling wine estate, produced from the 2016 vintage. Unlike its predecessor, Pinot Noir leads by a significant margin here, followed by Chardonnay and Meunier.
XVI Triumvirat Grande Cuvée Brut 2016 is a vintage sparkling wine from Flörsheim-Dalsheim, composed of 78 percent Pinot Noir, 19 percent Chardonnay, and 3 percent Pinot Meunier. The Roman numeral sixteen denotes the harvest year, while the name itself refers to the "triumvirate" of these three varieties. The wine spent over 100 months on the lees before being disgorged by hand.
Ripe mirabelle plum with hazelnut and salted caramel
The XVI exudes aromas of ripe mirabelle plum, candied lemon, and white peach, underpinned by fine roasted notes and hazelnut resulting from its extended cellar aging.
On the palate, it is powerful yet elegant, as 7.9 grams of acidity per liter provide the tension necessary to support such ripeness. 3 grams of residual sugar are just enough to allow a hint of salted caramel to shine through without adding sweetness. It stands in the glass powerful, clearly defined, and profound.
Robert Parker awarded the 2016 vintage 96 points, and that same score secured third place at the 2025 VINUM German Sparkling Wine Awards. In the category of Pinot-based sparkling wines aged for over 60 months on the lees, the estate took the top three spots at that time.
Pairs with scallops, quail, and aged mountain cheese
A sparkling wine with over eight years of lees aging has the pedigree of a great white wine and should be treated accordingly. It is too precious for a quick toast while standing; its true depth only reveals itself at the table.
Seared scallops are an excellent match, as is oven-roasted quail or a mountain cheese that has been aged for a long time. Chilled to 10–12 degrees Celsius and poured into a large glass, it reveals everything that a narrow flute would simply conceal.
A vintage with edges and character
The year 2016 was difficult for the estate in the spring, but the autumn compensated for the struggle and delivered clearly defined base wines. Within the house, 2016 has since been considered a vintage with edges, character, and a great promise for the future. It is precisely these edges that make the 2016 a sparkling wine with a distinct signature today.
The grapes were harvested by hand in September 2016 and whole-cluster pressed. The base wines matured 57 percent in wooden barrels and 43 percent in stainless steel, underwent malolactic fermentation, and were bottled for tirage in June 2017. Disgorged in September 2025, the bottles are still riddled by hand at the estate to this day. Nearly nine years passed between the harvest and the sale, during which time the bottle was simply left to rest.
The vines grow on the limestone-rich Dalsheimer Bürgel, which the family holds as a monopoly site. Volker Raumland founded the sparkling wine estate in 1984, and since 2020, it has been the first dedicated sparkling wine producer to be a member of the VDP. Impressive. You can find more sparkling wines from Flörsheim-Dalsheim, the previous XV 2015 vintage, and other sparkling wines with long lees aging with us.