Dr. Bürklin-Wolf

The Bürklin-Wolf estate – one of the three famous ‘B’s in the Mittelhaardt, the others being Bassermann and von Buhl – has long stood for quality. It was under current owner Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze, who took over in 1990, that the estate had its renaissance. As of the 1994 vintage, wines were made in a dry style and labeled as either premier cru or grand cru, according to the Royal Bavarian classification of Pfalz vineyards from 1828 and long preceding any classification in the Pfalz by the VDP. This nomenclature still lives on in the shorthand of PC and GC. The latter of course, now are GGs. As one of the first in Germany, Bürklin-Wolf started using biodynamic methods in some vineyards from 2001 onwards and began full conversion in 2005, becoming certified in 2008. Today, they farm 85 hectares in key sites across the Mittelhaardt, including their monopole of the Ruppertsberger Gaisböhl and including illustrious sites such as Forster Pechstein, Kirchenstück and Ungeheuer. Ninety percent of plantings are Riesling with some Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and just over one hectare of Sauvignon Blanc. Current cellar master Nicola Libelli started as an intern in 2011 alongside longstanding cellar master Fritz Knorr. When Knorr passed away unexpectedly in 2012, Bürklin-von Guradze made a leap of faith and asked Libelli to step into his shoes despite his relative inexperience. This proved to be fortuitous. Italian-born Libelli studied in Piacenza, and Rioja, worked in California’s Russian River where he met his Pfalz-born wife, then completed a masters in Asti and Geisenheim and started work at Bürklin-Wolf. In 2011 Libelli worked a vintage in McLaren Vale. Libelli has forged a most clear-cut, precise style. He says: “In this difficult situation, I was lucky that the lines were clearly drawn. We do not buy in grapes; we have a strict classification, but we were allowed to evolve a very pure style.” After more than a decade in situ, Libelli is clearly at ease and presented an outstanding collection of 2022 Rieslings, despite the challenges the Mittelhaardt faced in 2022. The summer was dry, and harvest began in early September. Heavy rain on 6 September came “out of nowhere,” splashing down 70 liters of rain within two hours over Forst, Deidesheim, and Wachenheim. Libelli says that because of the small yields and viticultural practices grapes did not split, and a big team of 80 harvesters managed to bring the fruit in within three weeks. “Our vine management over the past years really helped us. It was difficult, but we managed in time,” Libelli says, before much dilution set in. Their average yield was 43 hL/ha. Libelli explains (in exemplary German) that the village wines in the portfolio are not pre-harvests of the Grosse Lagen but fully ripe grapes from parcels not destined for single-site wines. Riesling is whole bunch pressed and fermented (mostly) spontaneously in variously sized barrels and stainless steel with some turbidity. “That is it,” Libelli says. Some wines may go through malolactic fermentation, but since there was very little malic acid in 2022, this is hardly relevant. The wines stay on gross lees until January or February. They are bone dry, full of tension, precise and exquisitely expressive and uncompromising. The estate is in a league of its own. Outstanding. During my visit, I tasted the full range of 2022 Rieslings. The 2022 PCs are released in September, the GCs in April 2024.

From 2022 Rheingau, Pfalz and Mittelrhein: Before, During and After the Rain (Dec 2023) by Anne Krebiehl MW

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2022 Riesling

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2022 Riesling Deidensheimer Hohenmorgen G.C.

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2022 Riesling Deidesheim Village

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2022 Riesling Deidesheimer Kalkofen G.C.

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2022 Riesling Deidesheimer Langenmorgen G.C.

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2022 Riesling Forst Village

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2022 Riesling Forster Kirchenstück G.C.

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2022 Riesling Forster Pechstein G.C.

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2022 Riesling Forster Ungeheuer G.C.

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2022 Riesling Ruppertsberg Village

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2022 Riesling Ruppertsberger Gaisböhl Monopol G.C.

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2022 Riesling Ruppertsberger HoheBurg P.C.

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2022 Riesling Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad G.C.

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2022 Riesling Wachenheim Godlbächel P.C.

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2022 Riesling Wachenheim Rechbächel P.C.

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2022 Riesling Wachenheim Village

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2022 Riesling Wachenheimer Altenburg P.C.

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2022 Riesling Wachenheimer Böhlig P.C.

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2022 Riesling Wachenheimer Gerümpel P.C.

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