| Region of production: | Ruwer, Mosel |
| Winery Location: | Mertesdorf |
| Year Established: | 966 CE, when the vineyards were given to Benedictine monastery St. Maximin in Trier |
Vineyard Holdings
30 ha
94% of which are planted to Riesling (the rest is made up of new plantings of Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Pinot Noir)
- Bruderberg: 1 ha; east-facing slope (and the most eastern cru of the three); soil is blue Devonian slate
- Herrenberg: 19 ha; southeast-facing slope to the north and west of Abstberg; soil is red Devonian slate
- Abstberg: 14 ha; soil is blue Devonian slate; up to 70% gradient in parts
Top Wines Produced
- Bruderberg Rieslings: Spätlese and Auslese
- Herrenberg Rieslings: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, BA, TBA and Eiswein
- Abtsberg Rieslings: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, BA, TBA and Eiswein
Average Total Production
- 180,000 bottles
Summary
This estate’s focus is on its monopole holding of one of the most famous vineyards in Germany: the Maximin Grünhaus vineyard, which was run by Benedictine monks until the late 18th century. The estate remained in the possession of the French Republic until 1810 when it was sold to Friedrich Freiherr von Handel and sold again in 1882 to Carl Ferdinand Freiherr von Stumm, who is noted for turning the estate into one of the most modern and technologically advanced wineries of its time. Carl Ferdinand’s daughter went on to marry Conrad von Schubert, whose family runs the winery to this day – he’s also credited with changing the label of the wine to the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau label) still used by the estate.
The vineyard is divided into three contiguous smaller crus, named Bruderberg, Abtsberg and Herrenberg by the monks. The names worked out as a sort of classification, with the Bruderberg wines (the smallest and lesser of the sites) historically going to the monks, the Herrenberg to the Abbey’s choirmasters and the Abtsberg for the abbots. This classification remains relevant, with the Abstberg considered by the likes of Hugh Johnson as the equivalent of a Grand Cru in his vineyard classifications of Germany.
The estate claims to hold the record for receiving the highest bid at the Trier Auction for their 1921 Trockenbeerenauslese, one fuder of which sold in 1923 for 100,000 gold marks, the equivalent of 2.5M euros today (or $3.45M). The estate is not a member of the VDP.
Style & Vinification Techniques
The estate plants a cover crop of herbs and grasses and uses predominantly organic fertilization. They keep yields low at 45-55 hl/ha and hand-harvest everything. In some years, multiple passes are done through the vineyard. Stefan Kraml has been in charge of viticulture since 2004 and ferments with ambient yeasts in either fuder or stainless steel; élevage is in the same vessels, and the wine is not fined before bottling. The estate now sources their barrel wood from their own forest on the property, and the barrels are made by a local cooper.
Producer Website: Maximin Grünhaus – Schlosskellerei Carl von Schubert