Vogelsang Magnum 2021 Christmann

Das Weingut Christmann hat seit 2017 einen Anteil an der Neustadter Großen Lage "Vogelsang". Der Neustadter Vogelsang steht seit 50 Jahren zum ersten Mal wieder auf einem Etikett. Der Boden besteht aus mehr als 200 Millionen Jahre altem Muschelkalk, der beim Einbruch des Oberrheingrabens an die Oberfläche gelangt ist und an der Mittelhaardt in dieser Form einzigartig ist. Der Weinberg fällt mit einer Neigung von bis zu 50% recht steil nach Süden ab. Aufgrund seiner Lage im Ausgang des Neustadter Tals, in bis zu 260 m Höhe, ergeben sich große Temperaturunterschiede zwischen Tag und Nacht, die für viel Spannung im Wein sorgen.

Alcohol		12.5%
Vintage		2021
Volume		1.5l
Winery		Weingut Christmann
Rebsorte		Riesling
Vineyard		Vogelsang
City		Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Region		Pfalz
Country		Deutschland
Stored		16.11.2022

135.00 € / Bottle

90.00 € / Liter

1 bottles available

The vineyard Vogelsang

Location and Classification

Vogelsang is a vineyard site in Neustadt an der Weinstraße in the Palatinate. The south-facing site is located at the exit of the Neustadt valley, which leads to clear differences in day and night temperatures. Christmann gives the elevation as 160 to 280 metres, the average slope as 25 per cent and individual sections as up to 50 per cent.

Soil and Classification

The vineyard is planted on shell limestone, which, according to Christmann, is more than 200 million years old and was exposed when the Upper Rhine Graben sank. The town of Neustadt established Vogelsang in 2018 as a new single vineyard site and assigned it to the collective site of Meerspinne; the municipal announcement states an area of 9.7 hectares. In the VDP profile, 8.52 hectares are classified. Vogelsang is rated as VDP.GROSSE LAGE®; the classified grape varieties are Riesling and Spätburgunder.

Vines and Cultivation

Christmann cultivates 2.7 hectares in Vogelsang. Riesling takes up the largest part of the area, especially in the higher areas and on terraces; there, among other things, vines from the years 1982, 1983 and 2019 are planted. In the lower, steep and terraced section, Pinot Noir Massale selections planted in 2019 are grown from the Côte d’Or. The Vogelsang Riesling is completely selectively hand-harvested in small crates and fermented spontaneously in large wooden casks.

History and Vintage 2021

Christmann acquired his parcels in Vogelsang in 2017. In the 19th and early 20th century, wines from the site were delivered to the Bavarian royal court and mentioned in poems. Later, the land lay fallow as possible building plots, before a protected status prevented development. For Vogelsang Riesling of the 2021 vintage, Christmann names 8 and 15 October as harvest dates, a bottling in July 2022 and an alcohol content of 12.5 per cent.

About the winery

Location and History

The Christmann winery is located in Gimmeldingen in the Pfalz. The vineyards are situated around Gimmeldingen, Königsbach, Neustadt and Ruppertsberg. Since 1845, Riesling and Pinot Noir wines have been produced at the Gimmeldingen estate. Steffen Christmann took over the family winery in 1996; since 2017, he has been running it together with Sophie Christmann.

Vineyard Cultivation and Vineyards

The winery farms its vineyards organically and biodynamically. This includes work according to moon phases, biodynamic preparations, its own compost as well as cover crops, hedges and trees to promote soil fertility and biodiversity. Listed are an EU organic certification as well as respect-BIODYN and La Renaissance of the appellation.

The sites include slopes with five to 50 percent gradient and southern, south-eastern or east-south-eastern exposure. Documented soils include Buntsandstein, terrace gravel, calcareous marl and limestone. Individual vineyards also feature Terra Fusca, limestone reef, sandstone rubble, loess, shell limestone and basalt inclusions.

Grape Varieties and Classification

The most important grape varieties are Riesling and Pinot Noir, or Spätburgunder. In addition, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and Muskateller are grown. The Königsbacher Idig is planted with Riesling and Pinot Noir, while the Gimmeldinger Meerspinne and the Königsbacher Ölberg-Hart are Riesling sites.

The current portfolio focuses on the VDP.ERSTE LAGE and VDP.GROSSE LAGE classifications. The grapes are harvested in several passes; for wines from classified sites, hand harvesting is documented.

Maturing and Wine Style

The winery produces dry Riesling and Pinot wines intended to express their origin from the vineyards. The Riesling style is described as powerful and at the same time lively; the Pinot style as elegant and shaped by fine acidity. Gentle hand harvesting, slow pressing, spontaneous fermentation and ageing in wooden barrels are among the documented cellar practices.

The wines “Aus den Lagen” come from classified vineyards, are harvested by hand, spontaneously fermented and blended from selected barrels. The Riesling “Aus den Lagen” ferments partly spontaneously in large wooden barrels. For the Gimmeldingen Schild Pinot Noir of the 2023 vintage, a must fermentation with 20 percent whole berries and 17 months of Barrique ageing were carried out.