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Klein

There is, perhaps unsurprisingly, more than one family named Klein farming in the Southern Pfalz, and this winery is often – though no longer officially – known as “Gerhard Klein” for the still-active father of Peter Klein. The latter has been in charge here for a decade and his family’s winegrowing in Hainfeld and environs goes back 250 years, impressive even by German standards for a family-run, non-“noble” estate. Today’s vineyard holdings include parcels in Burrweiler Altenforst, Weyherer Michelsberg, and in the locally renowned, chalky Ilbesheimer Kalmit. Klein is among numerous growers in this sector who have come highly recommended to me by some of my fellow critics as well as by many of their fellow growers. In typical Südpfalz fashion, the estate grows a colorful mix of grape varieties, even including Grüner Veltliner, Syrah and Tempranillo. Riesling represents just over a quarter of the acreage but the three Pinots account for well more than a third (and nearly half if one counts Frühburgunder among them). Peter Klein has worked at F. X. Pichler and Heymann-Löwenstein, as well as in South Africa. I had to be selective given the time available for my inaugural visit, but I tasted a substantial range of Klein’s offerings (on all of which notes are supplied). Many were impressively crafted and highly engaging, even if none proved outright exciting. Klein intentionally keeps his whites from undergoing malolactic transformation, though I would have thought otherwise in a couple of instances had he not told me that.

From German Riesling 2017: No Pfalz Sense of Security (Mar 2019) by David Schildknecht

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2017 Riesling Ilbesheimer Kalmit trocken

Color: White

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Klein

2017 Riesling Ilbesheimer Kalmit trocken

2016 Riesling Ilbesheimer Kalmit trocken

2016 Riesling Burrweiler Altenforst trocken

2015 Riesling Burrweiler Altenforst trocken

2015 Riesling Burrweiler Altenforst trocken R

2017 Weissburgunder trocken

2017 Weissburgunder Vom Kalkmergel trocken

2017 Weissburgunder Ilbesheimer Kalmit trocken

2016 Weissburgunder Ilbesheimer Kalmit trocken

2016 Grüner Veltliner Vom Löss trocken

2016 Grüner Veltliner Weyherer Michelsberg trocken

2017 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve trocken

2017 Scheurebe Fumé trocken

2017 Chardonnay Hainfelder Letten trocken

2016 Chardonnay Hainfelder Letten trocken

2015 Frühburgunder Hainfelder Kirchenstück trocken

2015 Spätburgunder Ilbesheimer Kalmit trocken

2015 Tempranillo Rhodter Schlossberg trocken

2016 Syrah Buntsandstein trocken

2015 Syrah Reserve trocken

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