Pfeffingen Blanc de Noir 2021
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For this wine made from 100% Pinot Noir only the best, fully-ripe grapes were picked by hand. As the old vineyard (30 years old) from which the grapes were harvested is located beside the winery, the grapes could be pressed very quickly. To guarantee the best quality possible the grapes were pressed as whole clusters with only half the pressure of a regular pressing process. As a result the color of the wine is bright and very clean.
The juice was then fermented under temperature-control for four weeks. After the fermentation the wine was aged sur lie (on the yeast) for four months. Therefore the wine is very fruity with a crisp, refreshing acidity, on the other side it has a wonderful harmony and depth.
Pfeffingen, idyllically located amidst its vineyards, is operated by oenologists Jan Eymael, his wife Karin and his mother Doris. All three of them are passionate wine-growers, whose unconditional endeavors to achieve top quality, even on a small scale, make this traditional Pfälzer family operation truly special. They strive to cultivate their 15 hectares (37 acres) of vines to yield unique wines that are rich in minerals and fruit. Pfeffingen has numbered among the best wine estates of Germany for years. Sense of family is given pride of place at Pfeffingen. Four generations of the Eymael and Fuhrmann families live and work together at the attractive estate situated on the Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Road). Both families can look back on a long viticultural tradition. Their coat of arms to this day, with its mythical unicorn, was conferred in 1622 by Emperor Ferdinand II.
The Eymael and Fuhrmann families tend their vines and grapes with great care. Various vineyard procedures require manual labor. In all, vineyard maintenance is as ecologically friendly as possible and low yields are a matter of course. The grapes are harvested by hand, by experienced pickers. The vineyards and growing conditions at Pfeffingen are optimal for the “king of white wine varietals” – Riesling. The chalky soils also provide excellent conditions for Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). The specialty of the house is the aromatic varietal Scheurebe (shoy´ray beh), named after the grape breeder Georg Scheu, who crossed Riesling and an unkown wild grape in 1916 to produce this delicious grape variety – which has yielded wines of remarkable quality for decades at Pfeffingen.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
This sunny and relatively dry region served for many years as a German tourist mecca and was associated with low cost, cheerful wines. But since the 1980s, it has gained a reputation as one of Germany’s more innovative regions, which has led to increased international demand.