Baden: Klumpp 'Cuvée No. 1' 2020
This delicious organic, Blaufränkisch-dominated blend is reminiscent of (Bierzo) Mencia or (Savoie) Mondeuse. Its cherry flavours, peppery underscore and fresh acidity, make it a great food partner. Certified as an organic wine.
Blaufränkisch is widely planted in Austria, but also appears in Southern Germany where it is sometimes known as Lemberger. Here it is blended successfully with another rare Austrian variety Saint Laurent, plus Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Baden, positioned just across the Rhine from Alsace in south-west Germany, is the country’s 3rd largest wine-producing region. Stretching 400km down to Lake Constance in the south and provided with natural protection by the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest, it is the country’s warmest grape-growing region, ergo the wines tend towards fuller flavours and higher alcohols. The most common grape varieties found are Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc and over 80% of Baden’s production comes from co-operatives. The Kraichgau district is located in the north of Baden and is known as the “region of a thousand hills” as it comprises gentle rolling countryside. Topographically this area was actually formed around 65 million years ago and has a rich variety of soils and terroirs.
Sourced from 2 vineyards, the first of which is on a Gipskeuper limestone rich in fossils with high clay content. This allows the vines to root deep and retains moisture in warm vintages. Cool easterly winds keep disease and rot at bay and allow gentle, slow fruit ripening. This produces concentrated small berries giving depth and structure. The second plot which provides fruit for this wine is located on deep loamy loess soils with high lime content providing good nutrients on a 35% gradient. This ensures characterful fruit with good minerality, bountiful fruit and lovely elegance. Combining fruit from both gives a fresh, elegant yet seductively-fruited cuvée.
Style | Red Wine, Sec, Medium-bodied, Non Sparkling |
---|---|
Wine Region | Germany, Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden |
Grape Variety (Cépage) | Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Saint Laurent |
Food & Wine Matching | Charcuterie, Cheese, Mushrooms, Pheasant and Game |
Viticulture | Organic |
Vintage | 2020 |
Cellarage | Drink 2022 to 2025. |
Vinification | Leaf-thinning is practiced in order to allow more sunshine onto the ripening grapes whilst a green harvest helps to concentrate nutrients into the remaining bunches. Grapes from 20+ year old vines are hand harvested and carefully transported within the winery via gravity rather than by mechanical means. 10% of the must is removed to concentrate it further (saignée) and after 3 days of cold maceration on skins, the must undergoes a classic red wine fermentation for 14 days with the cap being submerged three times a day. The wine matures for 12 months in (5 to 8 year old) French barriques. |
Alcohol By Volume (%) | 13 |
Weingut Klumpp
Ulrich Klumpp grew up in a wine family, with his parents tending a tiny 1.2 hectare plot. He followed his dream by establishing the Klumpp estate in 1983 with his wife Marietta - and now with sons Markus and Andreas (who joined in 2004 and 2010 after training at Geisenheim, Germany's famous and respected wine university) they are making their mark with an ultra-modern, very stylish winery and 25 hectares of organically-farmed vineyards. This terrific domaine is located to the north-east of Karlsruhe in the gentle rolling hills of the Kraichgau in Baden. Only about 1% of Germany's total production is farmed organically, but all of Klumpp's vineyards are organic with 50% of the production being white and 50% red.
View more wines from this producer...
Baden: Klumpp 'Cuvée No. 1' - Yapp Brothers One Minute Review
Meirion Williams reviews the Baden: 'Cuvée No. 1' from Weingut Klumpp in Southwest Germany. From a very modern vineyard, this red wine has prominent redcurrant fruit and forest floor aromas, with a smoky nose from 12 months in used french oak barriques. Fresh and complex but not heavy - serve with game or soft cheeses.
Yapp Brothers Videos