Königsbacher Ölberg Spätburgunder VDP Erste Lage 2022

A Pinot Noir of cool, precise definition: 13.0% vol., dry, structure before weight. Steffen Christmann describes his ideal as powerful yet elegant, with perfect balance. The 2022 Ölberg delivers on that promise in red.

The Königsbacher Ölberg is classified as a VDP.ERSTE LAGE. Königsbach and the neighbouring village of Gimmeldingen form the heart of the A. Christmann estate, established in 1798 and today run by Steffen and Sophie Christmann. Soils of red sandstone, limestone and terrace gravel shape each parcel differently. Steffen Christmann sums up the saline note they lend the wines like this: "The soil is reflected in the saline note that gives the wines elegance and a silky texture." After downsizing in 2021, the estate now farms 17 hectares, exclusively Erste and Grosse Lage sites.

Around 70 percent of the area is planted to Riesling, the rest to Pinot Noir and a little Pinot Blanc. The estate has farmed biodynamically since 2003, certified to respekt-BIODYN and EU organic standards: horn manure, horn silica and compost preparations replace synthetic chemistry, with all work following the lunar calendar. "The roots reach deeper and the vineyards have found their balance," says Steffen Christmann.

A juicy pull of ripe red cherry and wild raspberry, dark berries, a touch of violet and smoky spice. The tannin stays silky, the acidity keeps the fruit in line, and the saline finish lingers long.

Duck breast with cherry jus, mushroom ragout with polenta, saddle of lamb with rosemary or saddle of venison with root vegetables. Best not served too warm: at 16 degrees it shows its definition most clearly.

Steffen Christmann took over in 1996 as the seventh generation, has been president of the VDP since 2007, and, with respekt-BIODYN and La Renaissance des Appellations, ranks among the leading figures of the international biodynamic movement. Sophie Christmann joined in 2018, after Geisenheim, Bordeaux and Australia.