Weingut Rings - Portugieser "Sand & Kiesel“ 2020 (750ml)
Price: $44.99
| Producer | Weingut Rings |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Pfalz |
| Varietal | Portugieser |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 204213 |
| Size | 750ml |
 |
Weingut Rings Description
When we started to make wine in the year 2000, our parent’s daily life was about fruit and grape production. However, our approach was the very reverse. Steffen began to turn the farm in a 100%-winery. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the sandy, warm soils of Freinsheim and gained first recognition for his wines. Step by step, he managed to purchase or lease premium parcels in the classified sites of the northern Mittelhaardt, known for limestone and Terra Rossa soils. Low yields, 100% hand harvest and an organic approach were and still are key principles. When younger brother Andi came in, after his training at Wagner-Stempel in Rheinhessen, they jointly put a strong emphasis on Riesling. Spontaneously fermented, long time on lees and partly aged in traditional, big wooden barrels, the Rieslings put the winery on the map in Germany. In 2015, we became a full member of the VDP, the prestigious Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter. Our biggest love is Pinot Noir, or as we say in Germany: Spätburgunder. We adore the great wines of Burgundy, while not copying them. We grow our Spätburgunder grapes in the cool micro-climate close to the Palatinate Forest on limestone soil. Spontaneously fermented, aged in French oak and unfiltered, we follow our own style: Spätburgunder with elegance, finesse and minerality that are a fingerprint of their Pfalz origin.
From 50-year old Portugieser vines, rooting deep in the “sand & gravel” soils (“Sand & Kiesel”) of Freinsheim. A perfect place for this historic local variety.
Portugieser is a native European grape with a rather convoluted history. Many sugest that Portugieser is a German grape, while the general wine authorities (from Jancis Robinson, MW all the way to Wikipedia) suggest its deeper history lies in Austria, likely originating somewhere in the Danube valley. It has been said that some wine authority, at some historical moment, understood “Douro” instead of “Danube,” and thus the name Portugieser. Although some swear that it is from Portugal but evidence to suppport this is limited.
What you need to understand is that while Portugieser has basically no reputation in the U.S., in European countries it has a decidedly negative reputation. In other words, it’s generally thought of as crap. And indeed, most of it is. It is farmed in southern Germany (Pfalz, Baden), Slovenia and Austria and most often made into some type of industrial, light, off-dry swill. Portugieser can produce SERIOUS yields, thus the temptation for quantity over quality.
Tasting Note: In deeeep dark blueberry toned fruit, of moderate density, silky texture, and wonderful freshness, it was mind blowingly tasty, like nothing else i’ve ever tasted. Spicy and intense at once.
Wine Pairing: Dark meat, grilled BBQ
