Lemberger Herzstück 2023

The Lemberger Herzstück 2023 from Roterfaden is a dry Blaufränkisch from Rosswag in Württemberg, built on pure juiciness at 11.5% Vol. Sour cherry and a cool minerality carry it, with no shortage of fullness.

The steep slopes of Rosswag hold blue shell limestone, a rare soil that gives the estate's wines their tension. The terraces are held by old dry-stone walls, and the elevation provides cool nights and precise acidity.

Blaufränkisch, called Lemberger in Württemberg, is the estate's main grape variety. Olympia Samara and Hannes Hoffmann have farmed their 3.5 hectares biodynamically since 2014, using preparations made from nettle, chamomile and yarrow, without tilling the soil, with wild herbs and flower mixes in every other row, and early harvesting to preserve acidity. In the cellar, there is no intervention: spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, ageing in old wooden barrels, unfiltered bottling, minimal sulphuring.

On the nose, sour cherries, blueberries and plum compote, a touch of dark chocolate, then graphite and liquorice. Above this floats a distinct cool minerality, along with wild flowers and herbs. On the palate, the wine stays as juicy and lively as on the nose, its lightness coming at no cost to expression.

The Herzstück shows the assured clarity that Lemberger achieves on this terroir. The estate bottles around 15,000 bottles a year, and the label carries the Demeter logo.