The French grape variety Chardonnay actually comes from Burgundy, but the well-known Frenchman has felt right at home in the Palatinate for decades. Half of our popular Chardonnay dry has matured in barrique wine barrels. This gives it the unmistakable oak note and also the special roasted aroma, because the barrels are flamed from the inside. An unusual wine for Germany, but our customers (who are quite smart and open-minded :-) ) celebrate this special development of our winery. But how did this wine development come about? There is only one other white wine at our winery that also matures in barrique barrels, and that is Pinot Blanc. Compare the two side-by-side! A little tip: the Chardonnay appears a little stronger, while the Pinot Blanc is perceived a little lighter.

A good winemaker must be willing to experiment, because small changes can have major consequences for the taste. We, the “Junior Counts” Peter and Jürgen, therefore regularly let ourselves be inspired by our worldwide travels. One day we found out that the tradition of storing wine in barrique barrels rarely exists in Germany and especially for white wine, while it is commonplace in the USA and Australia. That made us ponder ... and then we acted: For months we tinkered and tried things out in our Palatinate cellars. Today we are proud to offer two premium white wines that are unique in their kind in Germany: Our Chardonnay and our Pinot Blanc are available as a balanced cuvée, half of which was stored in a barrique barrel, while the other half matured in stainless steel . Our new barrique white wines were harvested for the very first time in 2012. Both varieties received the golden DLG prize for this, and we are a little proud of that. But what is even more important: our customers love these two barrique wines so much that they are our bestsellers today.

What wine experts say:

"Strong green-yellow; in the bouquet the impressive combination of orange, apple, banana with the spicy influences of mocha, coffee and cedar wood; in the taste the elegant play of aromas is supported by a pronounced enamel and an exciting acidity; balanced and long finish." DLG Federal Wine Awards , Frankfurt, 10/2021

"Tender golden yellow; roasted aromas of vanilla and liquorice present in the bouquet, underlined with fruity hints of pear, quince and some banana; these attributes are reflected in the taste and condense into a powerful, full-bodied and characterful wine." DLG Federal Wine Awards , Frankfurt am Main, 08/2019

"Bright yellow with green reflections; interesting play of fruits such as pineapple and honeydew melon integrated by a subtle roasted note; hearty acidity in the taste with a fresh finish." DLG - Federal Wine Awards , Frankfurt am Main,

" Strong scent of fresh wood and some grapefruit. Needs a bit of air to fully unfold. Needs partners with strength, but without dominance: veal stew, poultry fricassee, vegetable gratin. A wine with a lot of potential. " Dr. Rolf Klein, experienced wine author and former editor-in-chief of the magazine "Weinwelt".

Distinguished vintages:

2021

(AP No. 5073053 1922)

Golden DLG prize awarded and awarded by the DLG - Federal Wine Awards.

2020

(AP No. 5073053 1321)

-Best collection "aged in (barrique) barrels"*

-Gold Extra awarded with the highest number of points and awarded by the DLG - Federal Wine Awards.

*By the way: A total of five (!) dry wines that have matured in wooden barrels were awarded in this collection: 2020 Pinot Blanc , 2020 Chardonnay , 2019 Pinot Noir , 2019 Merlot , 2018 Saint Laurent .

2018

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