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A cool summer, a dramatic frost event in April, and one of the smallest harvests of recent years – the 2024 vintage demanded decisions, patience, and uncompromising precision. Those who taste these wines encounter no loud vintage, but one that speaks of tension, pressure, and depth. Wines that do not seek to please, but instead reveal their origin. And this is precisely where their greatness lies.
The 2024 vintage ranks among the most demanding of the past decade. An overall cool and humid growing season resulted in moderate must weights paired with high acidity levels – ideal conditions for wines of longevity and vibrant tension. To counter the increased humidity and allow for the longest possible ripening of the vine, all vineyards were once again consistently leaf-thinned by hand in August. The frost nights of April 21 and 22, 2024, destroyed more than half of the potential crop. The remaining grapes demanded the highest level of attention – in the vineyard as well as in the cellar.
In the summer of 2024, the opportunity arose to acquire a basket press from the wine estate of Ökonomierat Rebholz, Finn’s former training winery. A double stroke of luck: Finn had already worked intensively with the basket press in autumn 2023, gaining valuable hands-on experience during a formative final year of training. These experiences formed the foundation, but were further refined in autumn 2024 and carefully adapted to the behaviour of our cool-climate wines and our terroir. The decision in favour of the basket press is, quite deliberately, a decision for time, manual work, and maximum control.
The basket press allows for a static, exceptionally gentle pressing process without mechanical tearing of the berries. Despite press pressures of up to 6 bar, the resulting tannins are remarkably precise and full of tension. The process is time-intensive, requires manual breaking, and demands patience – but is rewarded with extraordinary clarity and structure. Multiple comparative pressings with a conventional press confirmed the impression: the wines show greater drive on the palate, increased depth, and a significantly more complex texture. At the highest level of quality, this path is the logical consequence – and one that will also be carried forward in the 2025 vintage.
“With the basket press, the wines gain above all greater drive and complexity on the palate. My experiences during my training and internships with Hans and Valentin Rebholz, Nico Brandner, and Sebastian Fürst have shown me that every detail matters. Each one on its own brings only a small improvement – but taken together, these details can, in the best cases, elevate a good wine into a great one.”
“Grenzland” – When Borders Flow and Lines Blur
The new cuvée Grenzland is a harmonious interplay: Pinot Blanc from old vines meets Chardonnay from younger parcels. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested over several days. A short period of skin contact and gentle pressing with the traditional basket press lay the foundation for this wine. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in previously used barriques, tonneaux, and “Stückfässern“ (1,200-litre oak barrels), predominantly with medium toast. Regular bâtonnage lends the wine its fine creaminess. Around half of the wine also undergoes malolactic fermentation.
On the palate, Grenzland unfolds with cool tension paired with fine drive and subtle creaminess. It is precise, saline, and deep, without ever feeling heavy – a true border crosser between clarity and complexity.
Bottling: September 2025; Release from January 1, 2026
“Chardonnay Alte Reben” – Concentration from Austere Terroir
The foundation of this strictly limited wine is formed by vines over 30 years old, rooted in extremely barren melaphyre soils. Following careful pre-selection and selective hand-harvesting, the grapes undergo five hours of skin contact before being gently pressed with the basket press. The must is transferred directly into barriques without clarification and with full lees contact, using exclusively lightly toasted barrels. A warm spontaneous fermentation, extended lees ageing, a deliberate decision against bâtonnage, and late sulphuring define the character of this wine. The result is a Chardonnay of great precision, mineral depth, and structural tension – calm, focused, and built to age.
Bottling: September 2025; Release from April 1, 2026; Quantity strictly limited
“Silvaner Sandschiefer” – Two Worlds, One Character
A site shaped by frost and marked by low yields, yet full of expressive power. Ageing follows a deliberate dualism: 50% amphora, 50% tonneau. The amphora parcel ferments on the skins and rests on the grapes until summer 2025, while the tonneau parcel undergoes 14 hours of skin contact before being gently pressed with the basket press. Together, they merge into a Silvaner that captivates with structure, freshness, and depth.
Bottling: September 2025; Release from April 1, 2026
“Porphyr Riesling” – The Wild Side of Herkunft
Young vines on the western slope of the Heerkretz give rise to this wine. After overnight skin contact, it is pressed with the basket press and then fermented spontaneously and warm in “Stückfässern“. The result is an uncompromisingly mineral wine, defined by saline notes and clear contours.
Bottling: September 2025; Release from April 1, 2026
Heerkretz Riesling – The Essence
The pinnacle of the vintage is created from rigorously selected grapes from the oldest and most distinguished vineyard of the Heerkretz. After a short period of skin contact, the wine is pressed with the basket press and fermented spontaneously at high temperatures in stainless steel – deliberately without bâtonnage and without malolactic fermentation. A Riesling of great inner tension, clarity, and unadulterated origin.
Bottling: September 2025; Release from November 1, 2026
The 2024 vintage stands for a reduction to what truly matters: lower yields, greater precision, deeper expression of origin. Through consistent manual work, the targeted use of the basket press, and the courage to give wines time, wines have emerged that do not loudly demand attention – but resonate long after.
Warm regards
Finn and Christian
