Weingut Okonomierat Rebholz

Weingut Okonomierat Rebholz has been making wine for three generations and is currently run by Hansjorg Rebholz and his wife Brigit.  The weingut is a welcoming place and the owners, staff and the dog are very warm (people).  Rebholz is best known for its dry style of whites, the rieslings, about 35% of production, chardonnay and weissburgunder.  But they also make distinctive gewurztraminer from their oldest vineyard as well as grauerburgunder and muskateller.  About 25% of production is in spatburgunder.  Rebholz wines are about intensity of flavor stemming from some of the best sites in the Pfalz with soils ranging from red slate, colored sandstones and white chalky limestone.

The view south from Kastanienbusch Vineyard

 

One of their famous vineyards is Kastanienbusch, or chestnut bush.  This Erste Lage vineyard is on one of the steepest and highest slopes in the Pfalz at 300 meters, on red slate soil that is unusual in the region.  These iron-rich, well-draining soils produce wines of great concentration.  The 2007 Kastanienbusch Riesling is dry with vibrant peach aromas, spicy apple and pear fruit, juicy acidity and long finish.

The 2007 Von Buntsandstein Riesling Spatlese is dry, with lifted tropical, pineapple aromas, citrus flavors, medium body and mineral finish.

“Ganshorn” Im Sonnenschein is an Erste Lage vineyard which is planted to riesling, weissburgunder and spatburgunder.  Im Sonnenschein mean “sunshine” and there is something about the combination of sunshine and colored sandstone and limestone soils that gives the riesling and weissburgunder a hit of kirsch on the nose.  The 2007 Im Sonnenschein “Ganshorn” Riesling has ripe stone fruit aromas with a hint of black cherry, vibrant citrus flavors and nice weight on the palate.

Rebholz’ oldest vineyard in Albersweil was planted to Gewurztraminer in 1947.  The vines are trellised on pergolas because at the time, Hansjorg’s grandfather believed the region had a similar climate to Tuscany.  The vineyard was certified organic in 2008.  The 2007  Albersweiler Latt Gewurztraminer has deep yellow color and intense floral rose aromas,  with concentrated pear and fig flavors.

Blessed with these soils and low yields, Rebholz captures the clarity of fruit with skin contact after crushing, ferments at cool temperatures in stainless steel and ages on the lees until close to bottling in April.  The Erste Lage wines by consortium rules age longer, through the summer, bottled in August and sold in September.