IDIG Königsbach Spätburgunder GG VDP Grosse Lage 2022

A red single-vineyard wine with drive: dark cherry and blackberry over a silky texture, beneath which lies the saline note that Steffen Christmann attributes to the IDIG's soil. Powerful and finely structured at once, dry, 13.0 % vol.

The IDIG vineyard in Königsbach is the heart of the estate. It was once electoral property, its wines served at court. The family bought the neglected plots in the 1990s and restored them meticulously; today they own 95 percent of the classified area, effectively a monopoly. Variegated sandstone, limestone and terraced gravel shape the house's wines differently from plot to plot.

Spätburgunder from a VDP.GROSSE LAGE. The A. Christmann winery in Gimmeldingen, family-owned since 1798, farms 17 hectares, all classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE or VDP.GROSSE LAGE; 70 percent is planted with Riesling, the rest with Spätburgunder and a little Weissburgunder. Steffen Christmann took over in 1996 as the seventh generation, with daughter Sophie joining in 2018. Horn manure, horn silica and compost preparations replace synthetic inputs, and work follows the lunar calendar.

Dry and juicy, tautly structured: silky tannins, vibrant acidity and a long finish of blackcurrant, herbal spice and saline minerality. Serving temperature around 16 degrees.

Certified to respekt-BIODYN and EU organic standards, biodynamic since 2003. Steffen Christmann has been president of the VDP since 2007 and a leading member of respekt-BIODYN, and the winery belongs to La Renaissance des Appellations. With the Sektgut Christmann & Kauffmann, Germany's first biodynamic premium sparkling wine house is also taking shape.