IDIG Königsbach Spätburgunder GG VDP Grosse Lage 2021
A Grosses Gewächs from the Palatinate that unites dark fruit with silky elegance and cool finesse. Hailing from the VDP.Grossen Lage IDIG, this Pinot Noir bears the hallmark of biodynamic winemaking since 2003.
Bottler: Winery A. Christmann, Peter-Koch-Str. 43, 67435 Gimmeldingen/Pfalz / Germany
In the glass
Colour
Bright cherry red with a dark core and lighter rim.
Nose
Plum, morello cherry and sweet cherry meet raspberry, blackberry and earthy beetroot. Cedar, forest floor and moss intertwine with juniper, black pepper, cardamom and fine herbal notes of sage and rosemary, underpinned by nutty hints of almond and walnut.
Palate
Dark and spicy with taut acidity, a firm structure and fine astringency. Despite its compact acidity, the wine flows silkily and elegantly, with stimulating bitter compounds, earthy fruit and a finish that lingers for minutes.
Character
Powerful and elegant at once – a prima ballerino among Spätburgunders. The finesse of the cool 2021 vintage reveals itself in a slender profile coupled with remarkable density and intensity.
Pairing
Saddle of venison with Savoy cabbage and lingonberry sauce, oven-braised white cabbage with hollandaise sauce, or grilled red mullet with root vegetable purée.
Notes
The vines grow on a Tertiary limestone massif with terra fusca and basalt from the ancient Forster Pechsteinkopf. Spontaneously fermented with 10% whole bunches and aged in barrique until February 2023. The Christmann family owns 95% of the classified IDIG vineyard area – effectively a monopoly of this historic site.
Tasting note
Colour & Appearance
A cool, deep cherry red with a dark core reflects the austere 2021 vintage. The colour indicates that the 2021 Spätburgunder does not rely on opulent fruit, but rather on structure.
Nose
An abundance of aromas that no one can capture in a single sip: dark plum, sour cherry, earthy beetroot and black flowers. Spicy-healing cardamom and coriander seed nuances as well as walnuts reveal the power this Spätburgunder possesses.
Palate
On the palate, a taut acidity and a firm tannic persistence dominate. Although dark and spicy, the wine also possesses lightness, finesse and drinkability. This wine is a perfect expression of the austerity and structure of the cooler 2021 vintage.
Finish
The wine lingers for minutes. It does not end with pomp, but with the operative presence of fruit, acidity and bitterness.
Terroir & Origin
The IDIG is the heart of Weingut A. Christmann. The vineyard site rests on a Tertiary limestone massif with terra fusca, limestone and clay. In the topsoil, one finds limestone and basalt from the Forster Pechsteinkopf, which were brought there by the Buhl family 150 years ago. Whether they could do so is one of the reasons why the IDIG vineyard is effectively a monopoly.
Grape Variety & Vinification
100% Spätburgunder with 10% whole bunches, spontaneously fermented and aged in barriques (10% first fill) until February 2023 and bottled in May 2023. The 2021 harvest took place on 18 and 19 September. The Spätburgunder from Königsbach grows in the upper part of the Idig and is produced biodynamically according to the Respekt-BIODYN guidelines.
Food Pairings
It pairs very well with saddle of venison, oven-braised white cabbage with hollandaise and red mullet with root vegetable purée — where the earthiness of the meat and the texture of the fruit are optimally combined.
Special Features
A yield that does not occur often: dripping fruit and integrated acid-tannin animation make this 2021 Spätburgunder unique and a mature wine that brings joy.
