The Prädikat Powerhouses of Daniel Vollenweider
2/3/17 -
Wolfer Goldgrube vineyard stood in the background, lush and green, warm with the late-afternoon sun; the lines of the single-post vines were occasionally interrupted by the forest cascading down from the crest of the mountain. Daniel Vollenweider explained that areas where the forest was encroaching were plots that had been long-abandoned, and if you looked closely, you could see wooden stakes still poking out from between the trees and scrub. The Goldgrube is a steep amphitheater rising above a bend in the Mosel river, south to southwest-facing, with predominately Devonian gray slate (certain parcels variegated with iron-rich red slate). Old vines here are ungrafted and some are over 80 years in age.
The story goes that Swiss-born Vollenweider initially wanted to buy vineyards in Burgundy, but had to consider looking elsewhere due to the steep price tag. He wanted to make wine in a region rich with history and potential, and a bottle of Egon Müller 1990 Scharzhofberg Auslese has been credited as the decisive inspiration for his journey to make wine in the Mosel. After working in vineyards both in Germany and abroad, Daniel started in 1999 with 1.3 hectares in the Wolfer Goldgrube: an ideal vineyard in the sense that it boasts a fine pedigree, yet had fallen out of use (and the spotlight) in recent decades. He now owns just over four hectares on Goldgrube as well as parcels in Kröver Steffensberg and Trabener Würzgarten (Schimbock), and is a member of der klitzekleine ring, a group of winemakers that revive derelict, steep old-vine vineyard sites in the Mosel. Daniel is dedicated to the uniquely grueling lifestyle of winemakers in the Mosel who choose to responsibly farm these harrowing sites by hand and without using pesticides and herbicides, knowing the hard work is beneficial to both the vines and ultimately the wine.
Vinification happens in the multi-level cellar located under his house in Trarbach, a town (along with its sister-city Traben across the river) that was an invaluable wine shipping hub during the last half of the nineteenth century and into the early 1900s. Daniel uses stainless steel tanks and prefers spontaneous fermentation for all wines except for those affected by Botrytis.
In more recent vintages Daniel has expanded into making dry and dry-tasting wines, which are also outstanding and full of verve. We have chosen to focus on his elegantly textured yet powerful Prädikat wines for this offer because the 2015 vintage is electric and the wines are poised to age profoundly. We are also lucky to have a few bottles still available from past vintages, so we have listed them as well! -Cari Bernard
