Tasting note
Fifty lunar cycles on the lees – over four years during which this sparkling wine matures in bottle whilst the world outside continues to turn. Michael Andres and Steffen Mugler, friends for decades and awarded Best Sekt Collection in Germany by Eichelmann in 2021, demonstrate with this cuvée that patience in the cellar is the sparkling winemaker’s greatest virtue. The result: a Brut Nature of truly Champagne-like depth, rarely encountered in Germany.
- Colour & appearance
- Radiant golden yellow, already heralding its extended maturation. The mousse rises in a fine, widely dispersed stream – calm, dense and unhurried.
- Nose
- Exceedingly complex and inviting: apple and white peach meet freshly baked baguette, salted butter and a delicate hint of oyster shell. Pure umami, even before the first sip touches the palate.
- Palate
- Pure juiciness coupled with remarkable power. Once again apple and peach, accompanied by fine toasty notes from the prolonged lees ageing. The effervescence is extremely fine and seamlessly woven into the fruit’s creamy texture – luscious yet never heavy.
- Finish
- Long, salty and profound. The mineral, almost maritime saline note lingers for minutes, lending the wine its serious, gastronomic dimension.
- Terroir & origin
- The grapes come from the two friends’ vineyards in the Pfalz – from Deidesheim via Ruppertsberg’s Reiterpfad to Maikammer. Biodynamic viticulture has been practised since 2010; in the steep, sandy Deidesheimer Mäushöhle site, beehives even help promote biodiversity.
- Grape varieties & vinification
- The classic trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) and Pinot Meunier, aged entirely in wooden casks. Traditional bottle fermentation, followed by 50 lunar cycles on the lees – the name is quite literal here. As a Brut Nature, the wine is completely dry, with no sweetening dosage added.
- Food pairings
- With its power and depth, this is a serious dining partner: ideal with dishes featuring earthy and nutty accents – such as porcini risotto, roasted cauliflower with hazelnuts or pan-fried guinea fowl. Also an exciting match with oysters, echoing the wine’s own oyster-shell character.
- Special features
- The exceptionally long lees ageing of more than four years and the complete wooden cask maturation of all three varieties give this sparkling wine a maturity and substance that elevate it far beyond the aperitif category. Sparkling winemaking at its finest – a wine that truly comes into its own at the table.
