Spätburgunder Kalkmergel – from VDP. Weingut Knipser
The Knipser Spätburgunder Kalkmergel 2018 beautifully showcases the minerality of its soil, limestone marl sites in the Palatinate. With only 0.3 g of residual sugar, the Spätburgunder from Knipser can rightly be described as dry. It ferments completely and matures in new or once-used wooden barrels. This gives it a bold oak note, which provides it with great potential for the future. Compared to Knipser's "Blauer Spätburgunder," the Kalkmergel appears significantly rounder and more accessible. Long, lingering finish.
On the nose, the Spätburgunder Kalkmergel shows fine notes of overripe raspberries; on the palate, it is dense and powerful, displaying plenty of substance and structure. In terms of flavor, crisp heart cherries join the raspberries, along with smoked bacon, a touch of espresso, and sweet, delicate notes of cigar box. Even after years, the wine still appears very fresh. It is a wonderful accompaniment to seared beef, fine game such as saddle of venison, and braised dishes.
Winemaking – Weingut Knipser
Good vineyard work is the prerequisite for the best wines, which is why important steps for yield reduction are taken at Weingut Knipser through short winter pruning and green harvesting, *vendage vert*, in the summer. The vines for this Spätburgunder grow in the best vineyards characterized by limestone marl around Laumersheim, with the lion's share located in the top site Großkarlbacher Burgweg. This limestone was formed from deposits of calcareous algae that created reefs in a tropical sea during the Miocene; it is found in the subsoil of the Großkarlbacher Burgweg, Laumersheimer Kirschgarten, Laumersheimer Steinbuckel, and Dirmsteiner Mandelpfad. These sites are ideal for all grape varieties that rely on body and benefit from well-buffered acidity.
The selective hand-picking of the Spätburgunder grapes in late autumn usually takes place in several passes to harvest optimally ripe fruit. At the winery, all grapes are destemmed. Then follows the classic mash fermentation, which takes about 14 days, after which it is gently pressed in a tank press and, after a short settling period during which the coarse lees settle, transferred to wooden barrels. Here, malolactic fermentation takes place, in which malic acid is converted into milder lactic acid, giving the wine softness and a good mouthfeel.
Aging always takes place in wood. The entry-level wines mature in older barrique barrels. Depending on the grape variety, top-quality wines are aged entirely or partially in new barriques. For the Spätburgunder, 30% - 50% new barrels are used. The storage duration in wood is between 12 and 30 months. Bottling usually takes place in August before the harvest of the following year.
Spätburgunder Kalkmergel – a wine and its values
- Origin: Wine from Germany
- Region: Palatinate
- Grape variety: Spätburgunder
- 13.6% vol. alcohol
- 5.7 g/l acidity
- 0.5 g/l residual sugar