Following the visit of Weingut Rings, we drove over to Weingut Krebs for the final tasting of the day. Jürgen Krebs and Andreas Rings a buddies; Jürgen was the best man at Andreas's wedding. This was also our last tasting in the Pfalz region before the final 4 winery visits in the Rheinhessen Region, north of the Pfalz Region.
Jürgen Krebs (Techniker für Weinbau und Oenologie) and his fiancee Ann-Kathrin Müller (Hoppi Polla on facebook) were our hosts.
Weingut Krebs
For generations the Krebs family has been producing wines in the Freinsheim region. When Erwin and Gisela Krebs, the grandparents of Jürgen Krebs, were at the helm, the Krebs' were member of a wine co-operative. Also it was a mixed farming operation. Starting in 1982, the Krebs family started to relocate to where the winery is today and to fully shift to winemaking only. The first vintage that was bottled and sold under the Weingut Krebs label was 1989.
Jürgen Krebs took over in 2008 and was joined a few years ago by Ann-Kathrin Müller. While we were there, Ann-Kathrin was pregnan with their first baby.
Jürgens parents - Harald Krebs (Winzermeister) and Heidrun Krebs (Winzermeister) - ares still fully involved in the winery and Jürgen's sister Simone Krebs (Steuerfachangestellte) and her partner Andreas Schwarz help when needed.
Vineyards
The vineyard area totals 17 hectares currently. Riesling accounts for 30%, Spätburgunder for 25%, Merlot for 10 and Weissburgunder for 10%.
The geology around Freinsheim provides for a potpourri of very different soils. Sand, gravel, loess, clay, chalk – everything is present in the different parcels of the vineyards. Jürgen Krebs chooses carefully which grape varieties best match the vineyard site and strives to produce distinctive wines that reflect the singular character of the vineyards.
Jürgen Krebs (Focus online)
A strong personality, wines with a strong character, made with a whoooole lot of passion. Yay! He is a real character, this guy who is wreaking havoc right next to the historical gates of the idyllic wine-growing town of Freinsheim. Incredibly down-to-earth, brutally honest, his enthusiasm for life radiates out to everyone around him. Jürgen Krebs doesn't fit into any of the usual pigeon holes. He wouldn't fit anyway at a height of six foot three, and you'd never be able to keep him in. His wines are a bit like him. Expressive, lively and with a whole lot of character. You will never get a sense of brute force from his wines, but rather one of gentleness and patience. His character and his unmistakable passion for his work must have been passed on to him when he was still a baby in the cradle. His inspiration and the sensitivity he shows for the craft of wine-making were ripened off by a period at the VDP giants Knipser and Kuhn. He likes to call the process he went through there "Laumersheim brainwashing".
His wines tell a story. Since 2008 he has regularly brought his products onto the world stage showing a great deal of love for the wines, but without pushing himself into the limelight. At the end of the day it's the wine that should be the focus of attention. All his wines win people over with their power, their density and the stories they tell. They tell tales of heat, cold, storms and rain, of nature and of the people who have been involved in their creation. The greater part of his 16 hectares of vineyards are located in areas which are renowned worldwide – Freinsheimer Musikantenbuckel and Oschelskopf as well as Herxheimer Honigsack. The soil is characterised by loess, clay, sand and lime. He tends to his vines with great care and attention. At the end of the day, hard pruning, intensive foliage trimming, strict monitoring of yields, intensive selection and an experienced eye for our own vines are all vital to achieve the high quality standards he sets.
Wineguides
Gault&Millau (2 Grapes)
Jürgen Krebs is proud of his vineyards, and invests maximum effort in matching the right kind of soil to the aroma potential of each grape variety. This manifests itself, for example, in a comparison between the two Rieslings known as Great and Honigsack respectively; one is lingering, powerful and yet smooth on the palate, while the other is differentiated and slightly Spartan, with a touch of mineral aroma. The same applies to the interaction of the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) varieties of Great and Musikantenbuckel. (…)
Falstaff Wine Guide
Jürgen Krebs has managed to make his wines reflect the diversity of soil-types found in Herxheim and Freinsheim. They nevertheless also come with his own personal stamp, albeit applied with a force that respects a sense of proportion. They solidly reflect the craftsman’s skill; a skill that grows with experience. (…)
Eichelmann (2.5 Stars)
Harald and Jürgen Krebs have once again come to this year’s event with a consistent collection containing some top wines. Particularly strong highlights include the two Herxheim Rieslings: Honigsack, which leaves a powerful impression with its straightforward and long-lasting character, and Himmelreich, with its fine woody flavour, outstanding fruity notes and complex, stimulating character. Krebs comes to the 2013 event with the complexly structured Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) character of his Musikantenbuckel, along with a second outstanding Pinot, (…) known as Great which could not be more different from Musikantenbuckel in terms of structure and lingering finish.
The Wines we Tasted
2016 Weingut Krebs Riesling trocken
2016 Weingut Krebs Freinsheim Riesling trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Freinsheimer Oschelskopf Riesling "auf dem mittleren Gross" trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Freinsheimer Musikantenbuckel Riesling "Halbstück" trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Herxheimer Honigsack Riesling "Honigsack" trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Herxheimer Himmelreich Riesling "Himmelreich" trocken
2016 Weingut Krebs Weissburgunder trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Freinsheimer Musikantenbuckel Weissburgunder "Musikantenbuckel" trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Spätburgunder trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Freinsheim Spätburgunder trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Freinsheimer Oschelskopf Spätburgunder "Gross" trocken
2013 Weingut Krebs Freinsheimer Musikantenbuckel Spätburgunder "Musikantenbuckel" trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Freinsheim Merlot & Cabinet Sauvignon trocken
2015 Weingut Krebs Cuvée Schwarzer Krebs" Reserve
Bye-bye
Thanks Jürgen for a great tasting.
schiller-wine: All Postings (Published and Forthcoming): Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner/ Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
La Cucina della Passione and Weingut Schloss Neuweier Wines: Wine Pairing Lunch at Röttele’s Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) at Schloss Neuweier, with Owner and Winemaker Robert Schätzle, Weingut Schloss Neuweier - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Music of the A Cappella Ensemble "Männer und Tenöre" and the Wines of Weingut Aufricht, Lake Constance, Baden, with Manfred Aufricht - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Evolving Structure of the Wine Industry in Germany– The Case of the Lake Constance Region
Schloss Salem at Lake Constance in Germany: A Museum, a School and a Wine Estate
Visit of Schloss Salem, Kirche Birnau and Weingut Markgraf von Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Wines of the Markgräflerland (Baden): Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Löffler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Stigler, Baden, with Andreas, Regina and Max Stigler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler, 1 Star Michelin, Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany
The World Class Wines of Alsace
In the world class white wine region Alsace
Tasting at Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim, Alsace - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch in Alsace: Wistube du Sommelier in Bergheim and L’Epicurien in Colmar - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tour and Tasting at Domaines Schlumberger in Guebwiller, Alsace - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at the 1 Michelin Star Restaurant L’Achémille in Kaysersberg, with Owner/ Chef Jérome Jaegle - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Wine Lunch at Weingut Jülg with Johannes Jülg– Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz, with Hansjörg and Valentin Rebholz and Sabine Wagner - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Münzberg/ Gunter Kessler in Landau-Godramstein, Pfalz, with Owner/ Winemaker Gunter Kessler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andreas Rings - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Weingut Krebs in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Jürgen Krebs
Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland
Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Cellar Tourvisit and Tasting at Weingut Gröbe in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, with Fritz Gröbe
Cellar Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum