Pfaffenwies

Pfaffenwies is a vineyard site in Lorch in the Rheingau. It stretches along the slopes facing the Rhine between Lorch and Assmannshausen. The VDP lists the site as VDP.ERSTE LAGE. The classified area comprises 19.73 hectares; Georg Breuer cultivates 3.2 hectares of it.

The south-south-westerly facing site has partly steep slopes. The gradient is given as 10 to 40 per cent; individual slopes reach up to 45 per cent. The shallow, stony soils are made up of Taunus quartzite and Hunsrück slate; on the lower slopes there is deeper loess. The nearby Rhine has a temperature- and moisture-buffering effect on the microclimate.

Pfaffenwies was first mentioned in 1211 as “Pafenwies” and in 1235 as “Paffenwissen”. The name is associated with Pastor Dydo, the son of the knight Nikolaus von Scharfenstein. The classified grape varieties include Riesling and Pinot Noir.

The Pfaffenwies Riesling 2020 by Georg Breuer has 12.0 per cent alcohol, 3.1 grams of residual sugar per litre and 7.4 grams of acidity per litre. Aromas of almond and chamomile, as well as yellow fruit and floral notes, are described. Integrated acidity, a dense extract, a gentle bitterness note and a firm finish shape the profile. Georg Breuer states that the grapes are harvested at high physiological ripeness and sorted selectively during the harvest.