Location and history
The Sekt winery Schloss Wachenheim is located in Wachenheim in the Palatinate, in the Mittelhaardt section of the German Wine Route. From 1341 onwards, the site was inhabited by the Knights of Steinhausser. After acquisition by Johann Georg von Sussmann in 1725, a Baroque castle and associated outbuildings were created.
Georg Böhm acquired the estate in 1880 to set up a sparkling wine factory. Friedrich and Ludwig Böhm founded the Deutsche Schaumweinfabrik there in 1888. In 1886, the company received a patent for producing sparkling wine by barrel fermentation; since 1892 it has been registered as Sektkellerei Schloss Wachenheim AG. Between 1924 and 1939, the complex was redesigned under Carl Josef Wagner. Preserved, among other things, are the gate passage, the administrative buildings, the Marble Hall, the bottling hall and the cellar for bottles.
Origin and grape varieties
For its varietal sparkling wines, the winery uses base wines from qualified wine-growing operations, mostly from the surrounding region. The Palatinate Chardonnay grapes of the Edition Chardonnay, according to the winery, grow on deep, calcareous rock. In the Palatinate sparkling wine range, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot varieties are used, among others; the varieties approved for Crémant also include Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder and Schwarzriesling.
Sparkling wine styles and production
The range includes German quality sparkling wine from the Palatinate, including Brut, traditional bottle-fermented and tank-fermented sparkling wines, as well as still wines. In traditional bottle fermentation, the second fermentation, riddling, disgorging and dosage take place in the same bottle. These sparkling wines mature for at least nine months on the bottle; many edition wines spend 18 months or longer on the lees.
In tank fermentation, the sparkling wine matures for at least six months. The lees are then separated by a high-speed centrifuge; the style is set with shipping dosage and the wine is bottled. For Pfalz Crémant, documented are hand harvest, whole-cluster pressing without crushing and a maximum press yield of 66 per cent.
Designation
The products are labelled as Deutscher Sekt b.A. Pfalz. For the Brut designation of the Crémant, a maximum dosage of 15 grams per litre applies.
