The Small Cross - 2022

Discover Das kleine Kreuz – Red Wine from Pfalz Winery Rings

The Rings Das kleine Kreuz 2022 is a red wine cuvée from Weingut Rings, sourced from the hottest Freinsheim vineyard, Schwarzes Kreuz, planted with old vines. The grapes grow on sand, gravel, and loess soils, which are cultivated by the Rings brothers, Andreas and Steffen, from pruning to harvesting, and form the basis for this powerful red wine cuvée.

Here, the Merlot grape variety sets the tone, accompanied by St. Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc – almost like a Bordeaux from St. Emilion. Thus, Rings Das kleine Kreuz reveals notes of blackberry, elderberry, and cassis, with a hint of herbs, mocha, and chocolate, as well as a fine spice. The red wine smells warm, is juicy, dense, powerful with lively acidity, and pleasantly soft on the finish. Rings Das kleine Kreuz is a worthy second wine to the grand red wine cuvée Das Kreuz and is usually accessible earlier and ready to drink sooner.

Rings – Winemaking

The Rings brothers place great importance on healthy soils, as only from them can healthy vines stand and healthy grapes grow. They begin early with the sowing of buckwheat, clover, and radish, which prevents soil erosion, attracts beneficial insects, and retains moisture in the soil, which is revitalized with the application of horse manure as a natural fertilizer. Canopy management is also important for the quality of the wine: double shoots are manually removed, and depending on the weather, the grapes are defoliated and thinned out to aerate them. The grapes for Rings Das kleine Kreuz are hand-picked at the optimal harvest time, sorted and selected again at the Pfalz winery, and destemmed. 3,000 L/Ha are harvested. Without pumping, the grapes are transferred to their fermentation tanks. In warm years, a small portion is not destemmed. After a short maceration period, natural yeasts are allowed to work and initiate spontaneous fermentation. The aging takes place in equal parts in new barriques and in used 225-liter barrels, each for 20 months.

Das kleine Kreuz – a wine and its values

• Origin Wine from Germany
• Growing region Pfalz
• Winery Rings
• Grape varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and St. Laurent
• 14.0 % vol. alcohol
• 5.9 g/L acidity
• 0.1 g/L residual sugar

Organic control number – DE-ÖKO-022 German Agriculture