Pfalz. Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
Bürklin-Wolf, a historic German winery dating back to 1597, has deep roots in the Mittelhaardt region and Wachenheim, the heart of Pfalz. Initially a diverse agricultural project, it shifted focus to high-quality wine in 1875. The winery, now managed by Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze, embraced biodynamics in 2002, becoming the first German winery certified by Biodyvin in 2005.
Originally a multi-agricultural endeavor, the winery shifted focus solely to wine in 1875 when Dr. Albert Bürklin married Luise Wolf and moved to Wachenheim to focus on high quality wine production. After Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze who took charge in the early '90s, Bürklin-Wolf adopted the Burgundian classification system, reducing the estate to 80 hectares, with 30 hectares dedicated to premier cru and grand cru. She also scaled down the cellar from a whopping 2 million to 400,000 liters. The vineyard's size dropped by 1/3 and production by 1/4. Currently the total production is around 400 000 bottles per vintage.
Bürklin-Wolf became the pioneer of German wineries in biodynamics, earned Biodyvin certification in 2005 and they are the only German winery to hold it. Bettina also took a bold decision to introduce the Burgundian quality model (Regional, Village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru) five years before VDP association started to make their classification. The commitment to biodynamics enhanced individuality of each site, soil fertility, vine potency, and disease resistance, showcasing the winery's dedication to producing top-quality Riesling.
The flagship grand cru wines, like Kirchenstück, Pechstein, and Gaisböhl, are produced in limited quantities, showcasing the unique terroir. Premier cru wines express terroir with slightly less uniqueness but remain true to the house style. Village wines come solely from vineyards located in famous Pfalz villages: Forst, Deidesheim, Ruppertsberg and Wachenheim. They are true to their origins and affordable.
Kirchenstück, labelled as the "Montrachet of the Pfalz," is the jewel in the crown of Bürklin-Wolf, a bold comparison to the world’s most famous white vineyard. In the classification from 1828 the royal Bavarian vineyard rated Kirchenstück as the only vineyard with a prestigious 65 points (maximum score back then).
Bürklin-Wolf's commitment to sustainability is evident through hand-harvesting, cover crops, and biodiversity practices. Winemaker Nicola Libelli, since 2012, emphasizes low intervention, using native yeasts and gentle pressing. The wines, aged in old wooden barrels, reflect the unique combination of "element" yeasts and historical barrels, creating a distinctive Bürklin-Wolf style. While Riesling is the primary focus, experiments with Weissburgunder and Sauvignon Blanc blends continue. The winery's cooper, Stockinger from Austria, imparts a "hipster" touch, enhancing the nutty and persistent qualities of the wines. Therefore at the beginning they are mostly used for Weissburgunder and then, once the flavours are less powerful, for Riesling. The idea is to continue experimenting with some parts of new oak and see the results.
In 2022, Bürklin-Wolf made headlines by being the first to harvest in the end of August, producing wines with a lower sugar content, suitable for aging. Grand Crus vineyards were picked one month later. The harvest philosophy involves multiple passes through the vineyards, with the last pass selecting grapes for Grand Cru vines. Green harvesting, which was carried out in July to reduce the fruit and lower the yield, allowed vines to focus only on the remaining fruit and enhance concentration.
The current winemaker, Nicola Libelli took over the winery in 2012. Beforehand Fritz Knorr was responsible for the wines, also the first Grand Crus in Germany. Fritz style was open to vinify botrytis affected grapes, which currently is not practiced anymore. Residual sugar was as high as the acidity back then, so the style changed significantly in the last 10 years. Currently it is more about acidity and precision, lower alcohol and less fruit oriented wines. You never get petrol in Bürklin-Wolf, but the style is very distinctive. Bürklin-Wolf extended the aging time for GG wines by 6 months, so those can only be sold the next August after the harvest, creating the storage question before customers who buy them, mostly for further aging.
Tasting Bürklin-Wolf wines reveals the diverse range, from the fruity Riesling 2021 to the gastronomical Wachenheim 2021 and the complex Rupertsberg 2021. Grand Cru Gaisböhl 2021, released in 2023, showcases elegance, while Gaisböhl 2017 from a charming vintage stands out with its golden hue and exotic palate. The winery's commitment to tradition is reflected in Hommage à Luise 2022, a Mosel Kabinett-style wine paying tribute to Albert Bürklin's wife. With a reductive and fresh profile, this label started in 2020.
I tasted the following labels:
Riesling 2021 – harvest was late in 2021, low sugar content with high acidity. This is the most produced label but also a very important one. For Bürklin-Wolf it is important to show their philosophy and style with it while maintaining moderate price. This is the most fruity Riesling they have.
Wachenheim 2021 - fruit comes from the village where the winery is located. It is similar in style to Riesling, a bit more fruit forward but not as powerful. A bit more spicy on the palate with fine acidity. Stone fruits, yellow fruits, yellow plums, green herbs. This is already a gastronomical wine.
Rupertsberg 2021 – the complexity is turned up a notch. It is slightly vegetal, a bit green, and very mineral. Blend is usually 20% wooden barrel and 80% stainless steel for these Rieslings. Wines are tasted after fermentation, sulfur is applied as early as possible to inhibit the malolactic fermentation, however if it happens – it happens. The blend makes it also more interesting, there are layers of aromas which is a step up in quality. Wachenheim soil is shallower, rich in red and yellow sandstones and in Rupertsberg the soil is deeper with more water available. It is a gastronomic wine, mouthwatering, cheek puckering with peach, white grapefruit, spices and a light hazelnut note.
Wachenheimer Rechbächel P.C. Monopol 2021 - 2021 is a freak vintage, very zesty, with lemon juice notes and great purity. Thanks to that it should age greatly, but it is far too young to say more about it.
Wachenheimer Rechbächel P.C. Monopol 2018 – wine from this warm vintage is slightly sweet on the nose, but not necessarily exotic. It is bone dry and very persistent, pure and precise. The soil is sandstone, limestone, loess. Dried apricot, dried mango, touch of honey, stone fruits, floral, slightly green and medicinal – it is much warmer than 2021. It is also fuller, more opulent with piercing acidity still being present, really open and ready to be drunk, but will keep on aging gracefully. Creaminess on the palate is a typical feature of the aged Bürklin-Wolf wines.
Gaisböhl GC 2021 – fruit from Rupertsberg, clay and sandstone soil. Compared to Wachenheim it has deeper soils, better water drainage and uptake. Stone fruits, citrus, crushed stones, very mineral and very elegant. The wine spends 9 months in the barrel. Gaisböhl is extremely limited when it comes to number of bottles produced and it was only released in 2023. It is steely and precise, almost old school Chablis like. It is a meditation wine, not centered around fruit.
Gaisböhl GC 2017 – charming vintage. The color is golden, notes of honey, blossom, dried fruits but no hints of gasoline, wax, sweet corn. Great balance, exuberant, exotic on the palate – pineapple, peaches, mango. It is a chameleon wine, changing all the time. Truly outstanding.
Hommage à Luise 2022 - Luise was a wife of Albert Bürklin, who started the revolution in the winery. The label is the original one from 1920. It’s style is similar to Mosel Kabinett, vegetable garden on the nose, very reductive, low alcohol 9%, 20 – 30 g of residual sugar. It is very fresh and vibrant with green apples on the palate. This is a fairly fresh label, Bürklin-Wolf started to make this wine only in 2020.
Imported to Poland by Mielżyński and Secret Wine Cellar, Bürklin-Wolf wines continue to captivate with their unique terroir and commitment to quality winemaking.
