Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Grape: Merlot, Spaetburgunder, Blaufrankisch
Viticulture: Biodynamic Farming and Natural Wine
Wine making: Hand harvested grapes. Pinot Noir is picked first where the free juice is fermented in 2,400 litre barrels that are part filled. Then Merlot is picked and pressed into the barrels followed by the Blaufrankisch to fill them up. Lees stirred once a month with malolactic fermentation taking place. Unfined, unfiltered and no SO2.
Dark Salmon pink, almost light red in colour. Dried red fruits, herbs, plenty of texture and notes of grapefruit.
The Schmitt winery has been in the family for over 230 years with Bianka and Daniel working their 16 hectares for the last decade. They work in full biodynamics which they learned from Alsace vigneron Patrick Meyer and are one of only 80 producers in Germany to be Demeter certified. The Rheinhessen is one of the driest of all German regions and Wonnegau belongs to the sunniest and driest part of it. The most important vineyards of called Frauenberg and Goldberg, where very large limestone pieces form a bedrock under 30-40 cm of loess and clay. 16 hectares are spread over numerous parcels in three different villages: Florsheim-Dalsheim; Monsheim and Kriegsheim. The maximum elevation of the vineyard in 230 m above sea level.