Introduction
“A very German year...” SOPHIE CHRISTMANN, AUGUST 2022
A wonderfully enigmatic quote when taken out of context – by which Sophie meant that these are wines of clearly defined structure and crisp acidity. Traditional, in the best of ways, with echoes of 2004 and 2008.
During Covid we did a few different on-line events with the Christmanns but it was just superb to be in Gimmeldingen again back in August this year. Steffen was away, I think grabbing the last few days of holiday. Sophie was very much at the helm and with Guy and I having driven down to Pfalz from the Mosel it was wonderful to share a great dinner locally and catch up on everything. Of course, the wines were Riesling and Spätburgunder but only after a first try of a totally new project that we look forward to introducing very soon…standby!
The following morning, we had a full tour of the vineyards in the “Landy” – another great reason to go before harvest, you get to see exactly what is going on. Even in this extreme year – 2022 – the vineyards were in rude health, dryness bordering on drought is not new to Pfalz. Once back at the estate it was time for a full tasting of the range, which as Guy mentions more fully later on, had been tweaked this year.
There is an energy, a drive and a pure excitement about these wines that is very seldom matched. Enjoy the offer.
WILL HARGROVE
December 2022
THE ESTATE
The estate of 20 hectares dates back to 1798. The recent history is one of grandfather, father and daughter.
THE REGION
The Upper Rhine Valley in southwestern Germany has an almost Mediterranean climate. The Palatinate region, within which Pfalz lies, is half an hour from Strasbourg and an hour from Frankfurt.
The Christmann winery is in the village of Gimmeldingen in the centre of the Mittelhaart area, with the Haardt Mountains as a protective backdrop. It is a stunning part of the world with a patchwork of vineyards, akin to Burgundy in many ways.
VINEYARDS & CELLAR
Guy has covered individual holdings in his excellent tasting notes below so I will not repeat this here. In the vineyards themselves the work is done in harmony with nature – no herbicides, insecticides or synthetic fungicides. The estate has been certified biodynamic since 2002.
In the cellar nothing is left to chance. The freshly squeezed juices run into the barrels without further intervention. Once inside, the natural yeasts from the vineyard sites start the fermentation. There is no fining. Only a racking off the lees and a very gentle filtration are required at bottling time.
THE TEAM
These three winemaking generations are the family’s 7th, 8th and 9th. Scroll left and right below...
STEFFEN CHRISTMANN
Steffen (father and president of the VDP “on the side”) has almost 30 years of experience at the estate.
SOPHIE CHRISTMANN
Sophie (daughter) has been with the estate for three years now, having studied at Geisenheim and gained experience in wineries around the world. She is involved in all areas of the estate but it is fair to say she has a particular focus on the Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir).
FRITZ CHRISTMANN
Both Steffen and Sophie are still supported by Fritz (grandfather).
THE LEVELS
A quick guide to the German VDP wine hierarchy
As we are dealing exclusively with dry wines here, the hierarchy is more straightforward than it may sometimes appear with German wines. It may be lazy to draw parallels but there are many with Burgundy.
This is both in terms of hierachy and the fact that wines can be declassified by a tier, should a producer so wish.
Key:
A - VDP Grosse Lage (think grand cru – e.g. Chambertin)
B - VDP Erste Lage (think premier cru – e.g. Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru)
C - VDP Ortswein (think village – e.g. Gevrey-Chambertin Villages)
D - VDP Gutswein (think regional – e.g. Bourgogne Rouge)
VINTAGE REPORT
Here are Steffen and Sophie’s vintage overviews
THE 2021 RIESLING VINTAGE
A year of hard work that paid off. It was certainly not an easy season. The cool, rather wet summer, which would not have been unusual in the past, was very challenging. A variety of additional work and some extra effort from dusk till dawn were necessary to allow the grapes to ripen healthily. However, a sunny late summer brought the necessary warmth so that the harvest could start in mid-September. [The grapes were picked between 19th September and 14th October.]
Thanks to the long ripening time on the vine, we were able to harvest very aromatic grapes with brilliant acidity. After rapid spontaneous fermentations, the wines are now in barrel and inspire us with their expressive tension.
Especially for the Mittelhaardt in the Palatinate, the cool vintages, such as 1998, 2004 or 2008, are the particularly big ones, because even in those vintages the grapes can ripen perfectly. Concentrated, mineral wines with invigorating acidity. A year that we will certainly be talking about for many years to come with its classic, streamlined nature.
After trials since 2015, the estate has bottled all of its 2021s under Diam composite corks (Origine 30).
THE 2019 PINOT NOIR VINTAGE
2019 was Sophie Christmann’s third vintage fully in charge of the Pinot Noir. Sophie, who started working here four years ago, represents the 8th generation.
Based on her experience in France and Baden, Germany, Sophie introduced some winemaking changes in the 2017 vintage. These included larger fermentation tanks and a greater reliance on pumping-over rather than punching-down, as well as shorter post-fermentation maceration and less new oak.
Over 16 years of biodynamics helps greatly here, although in Sophie’s opinion, it is the calcareous marl soils, similar to those found in Burgundy, which allow the estate’s Pinot Noir to shine.
An average of 20-25% whole-bunch fermentation was used in 2019, a vintage which Sophie described as “a really good mixture of 2017 and 2018.” All the Pinot Noirs were bottled in May 2021.
THE WINES
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate.
The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
AUS DEN LAGEN RIESLING 2021
Literally “from the sites”, this new wine is a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate. 15% Idig, 20% Kappellenberg and so on – 10-20% from each of the family’s single-vineyard sites. A flinty, taut bone structure frames generous, supple stone fruit. A meeting of pliant fleshiness with wet-stone minerality. 20,000 bottles were produced. Bottled in May 2022. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2023–2028
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate.
The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
GIMMELDINGER KAPELLENBERG RIESLING 2021
Kapellenberg, in Gimmeldigen, forms the southeast slope of a vineyard situated high in the foothills of the Haardt mountain range, with cooling breezes from the nearby forest. A chapel below the vineyard gives the site its name. Herbal aromas, with crushed-rock minerality. The palate is yellow hued, with apricot and honeysuckle, very pure and immediate. Bottled in the first week of July 2022, as were all the subsequent wines. 12% abv. In Sophie Christmann’s words, “cool, salty, elegant.”
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035
RUPPERTSBERGER REITERPFAD RIESLING 2021
Reiterpfad forms a large, gently sloping terrace. It was formed over thousands of years and consists of red sandstone boulders from the Haardt mountains. This is a warmer site than Kapellenberg, which comes through in the juicy, accessible ripe peach and pear fruit. Although it has only 0.8g/l residual sugar, the natural ripeness of the site shines through, making for an earlier drinking style. This is the more generous and approachable of the two Erste Lagen. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate.
The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
MEERSPINNE RIESLING GG 2021
One of the coolest GGs, planted on soils of loess, loam and a little limestone. The Christmann's have 1.1ha here. Sophie described it as, “the coolest and the slimmest – salted lemons!” Meerspinne is a Grosse Lage sub-plot of Mandelgarten, dating back to 1456. Today it is considered the best plot in Gimmeldingen. Deft white peach aromas, with peppery spices. The palate is acid-driven and precise on the attack, finding a green citrussy intensity on the mid-palate, with a grapefruit flair to the finish. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2027–2040+
ÖLBERG-HART KÖNIGSBACH RIESLING GG 2021
Ölberg-Hart is a cool site, right behind Idig – it is a GG inside an Erste Lage. Steffen and Sophie Christmann have 0.8ha here. Lemon and lime aromas, leading into a luminous palate of wet-stone minerality. The heavier soils – heavy lime marl, so-called terra fusca – means this is always the most powerful of the Rieslings, according to Sophie. Fine-boned on the attack, opening onto a mid-palate of weighty green citrus and stone fruit. Hunkered down and focused when tasted in August 2022. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18
Recommended drinking from 2026–2046
VOGELSANG NEUSTADT RIESLING GG 2021
Its name meaning ‘birdsong’, this is described by Sophie as “the second pillar of our estate [with Idig].” 3.5ha of hard limestone makes for a driving, linear style of Riesling. Located at the end of a deep, broad valley, with warm days and cool nights. Honeysuckle and apricot aromas – warm and enticing. The palate is steely and salty on the attack, with a lemony zest making for an upbeat mid-palate, the tangy fruit ripeness lingering on the finish. 5,000 bottles have been produced. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2027–2047
IDIG KÖNIGSBACH RIESLING GG 2021
This Grosse Lage is one of the most highly rated sites in Pfalz. The Christmann family owns the majority: 4ha of the total 6.5ha. Over half of their holding is planted to Riesling. Idig’s tertiary limestone soils result in higher pHs and a softer, more open-knit texture. Stony, reductive-smoky aromas when tasted in August 2022. The palate has the most pronounced sense of chalky texture and mineral grip of the GGs, a phenomenal communion of soil and site, sustained by lemony acidity. The Chevalier-Montrachet of Pfalz! 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 - 19
Recommended drinking from 2028–2048
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate.
The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
AUS DEN LAGEN SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
As for the Riesling, this new wine is a blend of Erste and Grosse Lage sites from across the estate. Dark and gently peppery on the nose, with a supple palate of sapid, textured blackberries. There is 30% whole bunch fermentation here. 8,000 bottles have been made. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17
Recommended drinking from 2023–2030
GIMMELDINGER SCHLOSSEL SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
This is an Erste Lage site, first made as a wine in its own right in 2019. It is between Kapellenberg and Idig. “Always the fruitiest and the most accessible when young,” according to Sophie Christmann. Darkly cherried and grippy, with a ferrous mineral bite and fine, fruit-coated tannins. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2024–2034
KÖNIGSBACHER ÖLBERG SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
Ölberg is a high, sloping Erste Lage site in Königsbach, recognised as one of the best in Pfalz. It benefits from morning sun and late afternoon shade. As at Idig, limestone marl and the brown earth known as ‘terra fusca’ predominate – clay and loam. Spicy and cedary, the power of Ölberg really coming through here. This is a big, forceful wine in 2019, which will repay cellaring. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035
GIMMELDINGER BIENGARTEN SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
This Erste Lage vineyard consists of steep terraces in the Haardt hills between Gimmeldingen and Königsbach. The site is protected from cold winds by a small hollow in the hillside. “Our Clos St-Jacques – my hidden favourite,” according to Sophie. Cooler and more insinuating, this is a Pinot by stealth that builds on the palate into a softly berried beauty. This really suits the character of the cooler 2019 vintage. 100% old vines, planted in 1982. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2024–2034
IDIG SPÄTBURGUNDER GG 2019
The Grosse Lage idig vineyard is one of the most highly-rated sites in the Palatine region, making this the flagship holding of the estate. Grosses Gewächs, or GG, can be seen as comparable to Grand Cru status in Burgundy. 75% of Idig was planted in 1975, the rest in 2008. A flagship for the region, which revels in sensual raspberries, wild strawberries and a deft creamy density, offset against crisp acidity. Powerful and yet tender. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18 - 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035+
WEINGUT A. CHRISTMANN
Wine Region
Rheinpfalz, Germany
Vineyard
20 hectares
A wonderfully enigmatic quote when taken out of context – by which Sophie meant that these are wines of clearly defined structure and crisp acidity. Traditional, in the best of ways, with echoes of 2004 and 2008. During Covid we did a few different on-line events with the Christmanns but it was just superb to be in Gimmeldingen again back in August this year. Steffen was away, I think grabbing the last few days of holiday. Sophie was very much at the helm and with Guy and I having driven down to Pfalz from the Mosel it was wonderful to share a great dinner locally and catch up on everything. Of course, the wines were Riesling and Spätburgunder but only after a first try of a totally new project that we look forward to introducing very soon…standby! The following morning, we had a full tour of the vineyards in the “Landy” – another great reason to go before harvest, you get to see exactly what is going on. Even in this extreme year – 2022 – the vineyards were in rude health, dryness bordering on drought is not new to Pfalz. Once back at the estate it was time for a full tasting of the range, which as Guy mentions more fully later on, had been tweaked this year. There is an energy, a drive and a pure excitement about these wines that is very seldom matched. Enjoy the offer.
WILL HARGROVE
December 2022
THE LEVELS
The Team
THE TEAM
These three winemaking generations are the family’s 7th, 8th and 9th. Scroll left and right below...
STEFFEN CHRISTMANN
Steffen (father and president of the VDP “on the side”) has almost 30 years of experience at the estate.
SOPHIE CHRISTMANN
Sophie (daughter) has been with the estate for three years now, having studied at Geisenheim and gained experience in wineries around the world. She is involved in all areas of the estate but it is fair to say she has a particular focus on the Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir).
FRITZ CHRISTMANN
Both Steffen and Sophie are still supported by Fritz (grandfather).
AUS DEN LAGEN
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate. The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
AUS DEN LAGEN RIESLING 2021
Literally, this new wine is a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate. 15% Idig, 20% Kappellenberg and so on – 10-20% from each of the family’s single-vineyard sites. A flinty, taut bone structure frames generous, supple stone fruit. A meeting of pliant fleshiness with wet-stone minerality. 20,000 bottles were produced. Bottled in May 2022. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2023–2028
£125.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
ERSTE LAGEN
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate. The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
GIMMELDINGER KAPELLENBERG RIESLING 2021
Kapellenberg, in Gimmeldigen, forms the southeast slope of a vineyard situated high in the foothills of the Haardt mountain range, with cooling breezes from the nearby forest. A chapel below the vineyard gives the site its name. Herbal aromas, with crushed-rock minerality. The palate is yellow hued, with apricot and honeysuckle, very pure and immediate. Bottled in the first week of July 2022, as were all the subsequent wines. 12% abv. In Sophie Christmann’s words, “cool, salty, elegant.”
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035
£185.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
RUPPERTSBERGER REITERPFAD RIESLING 2021
Reiterpfad forms a large, gently sloping terrace. It was formed over thousands of years and consists of red sandstone boulders from the Haardt mountains. This is a warmer site than Kapellenberg, which comes through in the juicy, accessible ripe peach and pear fruit. Although it has only 0.8g/l residual sugar, the natural ripeness of the site shines through, making for an earlier drinking style. This is the more generous and approachable of the two Erste Lagen. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035
£215.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
GROSSES GEWÄCHS
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate. The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
MEERSPINNE RIESLING GG 2021
One of the coolest GGs, planted on soils of loess, loam and a little limestone. The Christmann's have 1.1ha here. Sophie described it as, “the coolest and the slimmest – salted lemons!” Meerspinne is a Grosse Lage sub-plot of Mandelgarten, dating back to 1456. Today it is considered the best plot in Gimmeldingen. Deft white peach aromas, with peppery spices. The palate is acid-driven and precise on the attack, finding a green citrussy intensity on the mid-palate, with a grapefruit flair to the finish. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2027–2040+
£350.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
ÖLBERG-HART KÖNIGSBACH RIESLING GG 2021
Ölberg-Hart is a cool site, right behind Idig – it is a GG inside an Erste Lage. Steffen and Sophie Christmann have 0.8ha here. Lemon and lime aromas, leading into a luminous palate of wet-stone minerality. The heavier soils – heavy lime marl, so-called terra fusca – means this is always the most powerful of the Rieslings, according to Sophie. Fine-boned on the attack, opening onto a mid-palate of weighty green citrus and stone fruit. Hunkered down and focused when tasted in August 2022. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18
Recommended drinking from 2026–2046
£350.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
VOGELSANG NEUSTADT RIESLING GG 2021
Its name meaning ‘birdsong’, this is described by Sophie as “the second pillar of our estate [with Idig].” 3.5ha of hard limestone makes for a driving, linear style of Riesling. Located at the end of a deep, broad valley, with warm days and cool nights. Honeysuckle and apricot aromas – warm and enticing. The palate is steely and salty on the attack, with a lemony zest making for an upbeat mid-palate, the tangy fruit ripeness lingering on the finish. 5,000 bottles have been produced. 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2027–2047
£360.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
IDIG KÖNIGSBACH RIESLING GG 2021
This Grosse Lage is one of the most highly rated sites in Pfalz. The Christmann family owns the majority: 4ha of the total 6.5ha. Over half of their holding is planted to Riesling. Idig’s tertiary limestone soils result in higher pHs and a softer, more open-knit texture. Stony, reductive-smoky aromas when tasted in August 2022. The palate has the most pronounced sense of chalky texture and mineral grip of the GGs, a phenomenal communion of soil and site, sustained by lemony acidity. The Chevalier-Montrachet of Pfalz! 12.5% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 - 19
Recommended drinking from 2028–2048
£365.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
PINOT NOIR
The line-up looks a little different this year, as almost 4 hectares have been leased to other growers. As Sophie described it, “We wanted to shrink the size of the estate a little bit – we only want to have wines that we 100% stand behind.” So the ‘entry-level’ wine is a new creation, Aus den Lagen, a blend of Erste and Grosse Lagen from across the estate. The Rieslings in this release are from the 2021 vintage, whilst the Pinot Noirs are from the 2019 vintage.
AUS DEN LAGEN SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
As for the Riesling, this new wine is a blend of Erste and Grosse Lage sites from across the estate. Dark and gently peppery on the nose, with a supple palate of sapid, textured blackberries. There is 30% whole bunch fermentation here. 8,000 bottles have been made. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17
Recommended drinking from 2023–2030
£150.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
GIMMELDINGER SCHLOSSEL SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
This is an Erste Lage, first made as a wine in its own right in 2019. It is between Kapellenberg and Idig. “Always the fruitiest and the most accessible when young,” according to Sophie Christmann. Darkly cherried and grippy, with a ferrous mineral bite and fine, fruit-coated tannins. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2024–2034
£200.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
KÖNIGSBACHER ÖLBERG SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
Ölberg is a high, sloping Erste Lage site in Königsbach, recognised as one of the best in Pfalz. It benefits from morning sun and late afternoon shade. As at Idig, limestone marl and the brown earth known as ‘terra fusca’ predominate – clay and loam. Spicy and cedary, the power of Ölberg really coming through here. This is a big, forceful wine in 2019, which will repay cellaring. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035
£235.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
GIMMELDINGER BIENGARTEN SPÄTBURGUNDER 2019
This Erste Lage vineyard consists of steep terraces in the Haardt hills between Gimmeldingen and Königsbach. The site is protected from cold winds by a small hollow in the hillside. “Our Clos St-Jacques – my hidden favourite,” according to Sophie. Cooler and more insinuating, this is a Pinot by stealth that builds on the palate into a softly berried beauty. This really suits the character of the cooler 2019 vintage. 100% old vines, planted in 1982. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2024–2034
£360.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
IDIG SPÄTBURGUNDER GG 2019
The Grosse Lage idig vineyard is one of the most highly-rated sites in the Palatine region, making this the flagship holding of the estate. Grosses Gewächs, or GG, can be seen as comparable to Grand Cru status in Burgundy. 75% of Idig was planted in 1975, the rest in 2008. A flagship for the region, which revels in sensual raspberries, wild strawberries and a deft creamy density, offset against crisp acidity. Powerful and yet tender. 13% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 18 - 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2025–2035+
£475.00 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK