schiller-wine: Impressive Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, with Richard Grosche - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Pictures: Extensive Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, with Richard Grosche - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote to a friend after a visit to Reichsrat von Buhl: "But if you haven’t been to the Buhl estate, you don’t know what Forster Riesling is".

German chancellor Otto von Bismarck himself was a great lover of Buhl wines (his famous quote "Dieses Ungeheuer schmeckt mir ungeheuer" this Ungeheuer tastes monstrously good, (Ungeheuer = monster) helped make the Forster Ungeheuer site world-famous).

Pictures: Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz

Reichsrat von Buhl has been a family-owned winery for more than 150 years, and has belonged to the circle of the most prestigious wineries in Germany for just as long. Since it was founded in 1849, Reichsrat von Buhl has made its wines in a terroir-dominated, timeless style that has never been oriented to fashion, but always to the grapes’ origins in the best soils of Deidesheimer and Forster. Reichsrat von Buhl is certified organic, and is an active ambassador of both natural, sustainable viticulture and of the best German wines. Since 2013, it has been led by a new team including managing director Richard Grosche and technical director Mathieu Kauffmann. Long term viticultural manager Werner Sebastian remains responsible for the vineyards.

For the most part of the visit, we toured the world-renowed vineyards of Deidesheim and Forst. Following the vineyard tour, we sat down for a tasting of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl wines.

General Manager Richard Grosche was our host.

Pictures: With Richard Grosche at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl

History

Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl It was founded in 1849 by Franz Peter Buhl (1809-1862). He added the vineyards inherited by his wife, a member of the Jordan dynasty.

When Andreas Jordan, who had immigrated to the Pfalz from the Savoy region, died in 1848, his bequest was split three ways giving rise to Deidesheim’s three biggest wineries, which thenceforth developed independently of each other and still exist today. Today, they bear the names Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, Reichsrat von Buhl and von Winningen (Dr. Deinhard). They are now all owned by wife of the late Achim Niederberger (who died recently).

Within few years, von Buhl was recognized for its uncompromising quality. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote to a friend after a visit to Reichsrat von Buhl: "But if you haven’t been to the Buhl estate, you don’t know what Forster Riesling is".

But it wasn't just on a national scale that von Buhl became famous. Von Buhl wines become some of the most expensive wines in the world and at the official opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it was VON Buhl Riesling wine in the glasses raised for the toast.

German chancellor Otto von Bismarck himself was a great lover of Buhl wines (his famous quote "Dieses Ungeheuer schmeckt mir ungeheuer" this Ungeheuer tastes monstrously good, (Ungeheuer = monster) helped make the Forster Ungeheuer site world-famous). Reichsrat von Buhl has always owned the best plot in the 29 hectar grand cru vineyard Ungeheuer.

The first "Reichsrat" (member in the house of Lords in the kingdom of Bavaria) was Armand von Buhl who was given the honorable title for his achievements in the German social legislation 1883-89. Armand married Juliane Schellhorn-Wallbillich, daughter of a very wealthy family in Forst, and had a son named Franz Eberhard Buhl (1867-1921). It was Franz Eberhard who united the wineries Reichsrat von Buhl and Schellhorn-Wallbillich to one of the biggest privately owned wineries in Germany in 1909. At that time, the total property expanded over 200 hectares of vineyards and forests. Franz Eberhard also changed the name of the winery from von Buhl to Reichsrat von Buhl by including his title.

Apart from his achievements at Reichsrat von Buhl, Franz Eberhard was founder and president of the German association of viticulture. After his early death in 1921, his wife Frieda Piper von Buhl ran the estate. She managed not only to maintain but actually increase the high quality that the estate was known for. When she passed away childless in 1952, the winery was inhereted to a political friend of Franz Eberhard, Georg Enoch Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg.

Over the years, the estate was continuously scaled down due to economic difficulties in its operation, until the entire property was left with only around 52 hectares of land under vine, albeit including the best vineyard sites in Deidesheim and Forst, such as Forster Kirchenstück, Pechstein, Jesuitengarten, Freundstück and the Deidesheim sites Leinhöhle, Herrgottsacker, Kiesleberg and Paradiesgarten.

From 1989 to 2013 the winery was leased to Japanese business man Toyohiro Tokuoka. In 2005 the winery was sold by the von Guttenberg family to local business man Achim Niederberger (1957-2013) who knew back then, that he would have to wait eight years before his team could run the estate.

Beginning with vintage 2013, the new team around managing director Richard Grosche and technical director Mathieu Kauffmann is responsible for the estate.

Pictures: Touring the Famous Vineyards of Deidesheim, Ruppertsberg and Forst with Richard Grosche, Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

The Famous Vineyards of Forst, Ruppertsberg and Deidesheim

The 62 ha estate is planter 88% to Riesling, 8% Pinot Noir and 4% to Scheurebe, Rieslaner and Sauvignon Blanc. It also produces superb sparkling wines especially the single vineyard Pechstein.

In the villages of Forst, Ruppertsberg and Deidesheim, the estate has significant ownership in the following Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) and Erste Lage (Premier Cru) vineyards:

Pictures: The Famous Vineyards of Forst, Ruppertsberg and Deidesheim

KIRCHENSTÜCK, Forst | VDP.GROSSE LAGE® – Von Buhl has about a quarter of holdings in Kirchenstück Forst ("Church lot"), which is one of the smallest vineyards at 3.7 ha and rated as one of the most highly acclaimed vineyard site in the Pfalz with its heady mix of basalt, sandstone, limestone and clay soils.

JESUITENGARTEN, Forst | VDP.GROSSE LAGE® – 7 hectares. A stone’s throw away from the famed Kirchenstück and next to the Pechstein, a composite make-up of these two neighboring vineyards; at one time it belonged to the Jesuit monastery in Neustadt – therefore the name.

Pictures: The Famous Vinyards of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl

PECHSTEIN, Forst | VDP.GROSSE LAGE® – Pechstein Forst ("Bad luck stone") has 15 southeast-facing hectares rich in black basalt and almost a third of it is owned by von Buhl.

UNGEHEUER, Forst | VDP.GROSSE LAGE® – 29 hectares, weathered sandstone with thicker layers of clay and sandstone mixed with lime and basalt rock

FREUNDSTÜCK, Forst | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®

REITERPFAD-IN DER HOHL, Ruppertsberg | VDP.GROSSE LAGE® – Ruppertsberg: Layers of calciferous sediments conditions the configuration of the vineyard which is surrounded by walls of red sandstone. There are additional sandstone based vineyards along with the Kieselberg, Hergottsacker, Leinhöhle and Mäushöhle that also produce loose knit more delicate Rieslings.

REITERPFAD-HOFSTÜCK, Ruppertsberg | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®

KALKOFEN, Deidesheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®

KIESELBERG, Deidesheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®

Pictures: The Famous Vineyards of Forst

Musenhang, Forst | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Kieselberg-Kehr, Deidesheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Mäushöhle, Deidesheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Paradiesgarten, Deidesheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE® – residual soils of red clay and yellow sandstone are good aquifers for its more delicate, lively Rieslings.

Leinhöhle, Deidesheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Herrgottsacker, Deidesheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Reiterpfad, Ruppertsberg | VDP.ERSTE LAGE® - Reiterpfad Ruppertsberg ("Rider's path") is the largest in the group of top vineyards at 87 ha of terraces lying to the west of Ruppertsberg, which runs into Deidesheim to the north.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, with Richard Grosche - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

The Wines we Tasted

Weinmanufaktur Reichsrat von Buhl

The name Reichsrat von Buhl always stands for uncompromising quality. For our negociants range, we buy grapes from fellow winemakers and process them as if they were our own. Ultimately, the name Reichsrat von Buhl stands for uncompromising top quality, across all of our wines.

Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl

For wines bottled under the winery’s name, we use only the best grapes from our own organically farmed vineyards. With the exception of the two noble sweet wines, all the white wines we offer are Rieslings, while our rosé and red wines are made exclusively from Pinot Noir; in other words, we use the two great, classic grape varieties of the Mittelhaardt. Since 2013, we have implemented the new VDP quality pyramid: VDP.Gutsweine, VDP.Ortsweine, VDP.Erste Lage und VDP.Große Lage. The quality ranking is indicated by the colour of the capsule, and by the carton.

2015 Weinmanufaktur Reichsrat von Buhl Riesling Brut Sekt

Recently the tradition of making Sekt at the winery has seen a renaissance. Matthieu Kauffmann, enologist at the Champagne House Bollinger was hired to make Germany’s best Riesling Sekt. The first vintage, the 2013 Reichrat von Buhl Sekt, Brut was hyped as the best Sekt ever made in Germany and as close to a grand Champagne as it could get.

2016 Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl Deidesheimer Riesling Trocken. At the Ortswein level but 100% from Deidesheimer Hergottsacker and Deidesheimer Maushöhle, both Erste Lage vineyards

2016 Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl KIESELBERG Riesling Trocken GG Grosse Lage

2016 Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl Suez Riesling Trocken. Suez is always a GG Cuvée from Grosse Lage vineyards.

2016 Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl Deidesheimer Herrgottsacker Riesling trocken Erste Lage

2016 Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl FREUNDSTÜCK Riesling Trocken GG Grosse Lage

2015 Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl Suez Rosé Spätburgunder Trocken. Suez is always a GG Cuvée from Grosse Lage vineyards.

Bye-bye

Thanks Richard for this most impressive vineyard tour.

Pictures: Bye-bye

Lunch at Weinhaus Henninger in Kallstadt, Pfalz

Following the visit of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl, we had a late lunch at the lovely Weinhaus Henninger, just on the other side of the street of Weingut Köhler-Ruprecht. See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Koehler Ruprecht in Kallstadt, Pfalz, with Franzi Schmitt – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)