Monday, May 2, 2016

Bergdolt-St. Lamprecht (Duttweiler/Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pfalz) -- Part I: Sparkling Wines, 2014 Weissburgunders (Pinot Blancs), and 2014 Chardonnay

This high-quality estate (sometimes known as Bergdolt-St. Lamprecht) doesn’t get the press it deserves, but among those who are fanatic about German wines, it is known and highly appreciated. It’s true that for Rieslings, which are excellent here, there are many other outstanding producers in the Pfalz. But the estate also produces sparkling wines, Weissburgunders (Pinot Blanc), and Spätburgunders (Pinot Noir) that have but few peers in the Pfalz, and indeed are among the very finest in all of Germany. Incidentally, don’t automatically go for the GG Weissburgunder in preference to the other offerings. I’ve often come away from this estate finding other Weissburgunders showed better balance, to my tastes, at least.


Currently, the estate consists of 25 ha, but an additional five ha were planted in 2014 and 2015, a 20% increase, and there have been some vineyard acquisitions, too. (Continue reading here.)