Auxerrois 350 N.N. 2023

A dry white wine of straight-lined build: plenty of yellow fruit, very moderate acidity and a herbal, tea-like depth that lingers long. Intense on the nose, ranging between mirabelle plum, peach and persimmon on one side, dried grasses, kaffir lime leaves and bay leaf on the other. Alcohol stays at 12.0% vol.

The Auxerrois vines are rooted in basalt soils at 350 metres altitude, among the highest sites in the Palatinate. The monopole vineyard Wachenheimer Odinstal lies in a hollow enclosed by ten hectares of mixed forest above the Rhine valley, and across its five hectares carries four rock types: basalt from the Pechsteinkopf, shell limestone, Keuper marl and yellow variegated sandstone. There are no neighbouring vine growers, so spray drift is not an issue. At this altitude, ripening stretches roughly three weeks further into autumn, giving the wines freshness and tension.

Pure Auxerrois from vineyards planted in 2004 and 2014, harvested from 19 to 21 September. 67 percent fermented in stainless steel tank, 33 percent in used barrels, with a tenth of the grapes going into fermentation as whole clusters. The wine matured for seven months on full lees; before bottling it was lightly filtered and adjusted with a small amount of 43 mg/l sulphur. Estate manager Andreas Schumann follows a principle of non-intervention in the cellar: spontaneous fermentation without temperature control, extended lees ageing.

The first sip arrives crystal clear and precise, linear and full of yellow fruit, rich yet never lacking volume. The subtle musty note recalls healthily ripened apples, with delicate touches of yeast, hazelnut and almond. Ethereal and herbal nuances keep the drinkability high and echo on for a long finish.

The VDP estate Odinstal has been Demeter-certified and strictly biodynamic since 2013, with the Demeter logo featured on the label. Five nursing cows graze among the vines, and bees kept by beekeeper Andreas Kramer pollinate the meadows. The designation 350 N.N. refers to the altitude of the monopole vineyard.