Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting (from Barrel and from Bottle) at Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken, with Sebastian Fürst - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Pictures: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting (from Barrel and from Bottle) at Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken, with Sebastian Fürst - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

On the Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken, we visited 4 wine producers in Franken. I have already reported about 3 of the 4 visits:

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Zehnthof Luckert, in Sulzfeld, Franken, with Philipp Luckert - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Staatlicher Hofkeller in Würzburg, Franken, with General Manager Marcel von den Benken– Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine Pairing Dinner at 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Reisers am Stein and Tasting and Tour at Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll, with Winemaker Franziska Schömig - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Visit and Tasting at Weingut Benedikt Baltes in Klingenberg, Franken: The Wines of Weingut Benedikt Baltes and of Weingut Julia Bertram - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

This posting covers the fourth and final visit in Franken at Weingut Rudolf Fürst.

Sebastian Fürst took us through the vineyards and the wine cellar, where we also met Paul Fürst. Paul got a bit of a health issue but he is doing very well. In the cellar, we tasted a large number of wines from barrel. The visit ended in the tasting room where we tasted more wines, from bottle, with Sebastian Fürst.

Pictures: Weingut Rudolf Fürst

Sebastian Fürst was Falstaff/ Germany Winemaker of the Year 2018

Falstaff/ Christian Schiller Translation: We have to thank Monika and Paul Fürst that wine connoisseurs began to discover Bürgstadt in Churfranken in the 1980s: With its subtle Spätburgundern, but also with ripe white wines, Weingut Fürt created a reputation for itself beyond national borders. After a few years at his father's side, Sebastian Fürst now shoulders the burden of responsibility alone. He continues with a steady hand, what has proven itself, but sets with great sovereignty own accents.

Picture: Falstaff WeinGuide Deutschland 2018

“Rudolf Fürst is an acknowledged Pinot magician in Germany, not just with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) but also the earlier-ripening Frühburgunder.” Jancis Robinson MW, The Financial Times,13th November 2011.

“18 ha estate in Bürgstadt where some of the best Franconian wines are produce, especially the burgundy style Spätburgunders (rightly regarded as the finest in Germany).” Hugh Johnson, Wineguide 2012

Picture: Sebastian Fürst and his Wife (Photo: Falstaff/ Alois Müller)

Picture: The Nominees - Falstaff Wine Trophies 2018, with Ursula Haslauer and Ulrich Sauter (both Falstaff) (Photo: Falstaff/ Alois Müller). See: Best German Winemakers: Falstaff Wine Trophies 2018

Weingut Rudolf Fürst

The Miltenberg basin in the western tip of Franken between the forested hills of the Odenwald and the Spessart, where Bürgstadt is located, provides ideal climatic conditions for first-class viticulture. The weathered colored sandstone of the Centgrafenberg vineyard in Bürgstadt and the extremely steep slopes of the Schlossberg vineyard in Klingenberg are home to the most extraordinary Frühburgunder and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir Précos and Pinot Noir) produced by Paul Fürst and his son Sebastian.

Frühburgunder (also known as Pinot Madeleine) is an old variety, autochthonous to this region, which yields full bodied wines and has attracted more and more attention over the last years. Roughly 60% of the wine produced is red.

In addition to the reds, brilliant white wines, such as Riesling, Weissburgunder and Franken’s signature wine, Silvaner, are also produced here.

The Fürst family has been producing wine in this area since 1638. In 1979 Paul and Monika Fürst built the new estate amidst the vineyards and in 2007 they were joined by their son Sebastian.

Picture: Annette Schiller and Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Fürst, at Restaurant SchauMahl with a 2003 Weingut Fürst Hundsrück Spätburgunder in the Double-Magnum (3 Liters). See: Winemaker Dinner with Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Fürst, Franken, at Schaumahl, Offenbach/ Frankfurt, 16 Points Gault Millau

The Vineyards

For the Fürsts and their viticulturist Sebastian Schür the vineyards are the biggest asset in the production of high qualitiy wines. Whether it's the high density of planting, best rootstocks and scions, low trellises, optimal humus content, plant protection and selective picking, all aspects are regarded as equally essential and from pruning to picking all the most important work in the vineyards is done by hand. Altogether Weingut Fürst has 20 hectares of vines, with 13 hectares of the Centgrafenberg vineyard the biggest block.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour with Sebastian Fürst

Centgrafenberg

Bürgstadt, 11 ha. As a result of the practice of gavelkind over centuries, the vineyards are split into 20 plots, creating a broad spectrum of soil composition. The higher the content of fertile loam, the better the soils are suited for growing white wines, whereas the more stony plots are perfect for the reds.

Hundsrück

Bürgstadt, 2.5 ha, partially terraced, Großes Gewächs since 2003, primary rock covered by 0.5-2m of warm, well drained and aerated surface soil The ideal vineyard soil, though quite unforgiving when it comes to mistakes in husbandry. Each year the Hundsrück makes for the most powerful and spicy Pinot in our portfolio.

Schlossberg

Klingenberg, 1.3 ha, steep terraces, red sandstone, one of Germany's famous historical pinot sites, In 2004 Paul and Sebastian bought 3 plots on this impressive slope, including the one between the wing walls of Clingenburg castle . Between 2004 and 2006 they were planted with the best Pinot vines and hundreds of yards of dry stone wall were restored.

Karthäuser

Volkach, shell limestone, Chardonnay ,Pinot Blanc, Silvaner, named for the adjacent charterhouse of Astheim.

The Cellar Philosophy

Our cellar philosophy is simple, just sustain what comes in from the vineyards. After fermentation on the skins in open vats, the red varieties are left in french oak barrels for 12 to 20 months to mature and settle. All red wines are bottled unfiltered. White wines are pressed gently, fermented and aged in both barrels and stainless steel tanks for 6 - 12 months. Lowtech vinification assures each wine gets the necessary time to develop.

Pictures: Meeting Paul Fürst in the Cellar

Berry Bros and Rudd: Weingut Rudolf Fürst

In the westernmost corner of the Franconian wine region, framed by the low mountain ranges of Spessart and Odenwald, the Fürst family has been making wine since 1638. In 1979 Paul and Monika Fürst built the new estate amidst the vineyards and in 2007 they were joined by their son Sebastian.

Facing due south and overlooking the picturesque towns of Miltenberg and Bürgstadt the slopes of the Centgrafenberg are home to most of the vines. Pinot Noir and Riesling thrive in the warm and iron rich soils formed by the weathering of red sandstone. The quality of the wines is founded on minimal intervention in the vineyards, reduced yields, gentle vinification and long barrel ageing (12-20 months). Red wines are bottled unfiltered.

Pinot Noir has been cultivated on the hot red sandstone of Centgrafenberg, Hundsrück and Schlossberg for centuries. Frühburgunder (also known as Pinot Madeleine) is an old variety, indigenous to this region, which yields full bodied wines and has attracted more and more attention over the last years. Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is complemented by other classic Franconian wines (all dry) from Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), and Silvaner. White wines are pressed gently, fermented and aged in both barrels and stainless steel tanks for 6 – 12 months.

Tasting

We tasted from Barrel and from Bottle.

Tasting from Barrel

2017 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Spätburgunder Tradition Gutswein
2017 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Bürgstädter Berg Spätburgunder Erste Lage
2017 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder GG Grosse Lage
2017 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Schlossberg Spätburgunder GG Grosse Lage
2017 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Hundsrück Spätburgunder GG Grosse Lage

Pictures: Tasting from Barrel in the Cellar

Tasting from Bottle in the Tasting Room

The visit ended in the tasting room where we tasted more wines, from bottle, with Sebastian Fürst.

Pictures: Tasting from Bottle in the Tasting Room with Sebastian Fürst

2016 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Klingenberger Spätburgunder Ortswein
2016 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Berg Spätburgunder Erste Lage
2016 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Frühburgunder R Frühburgunder (also known as Pinot Madeleine) is an old variety, autochthonous to this region, which yields full bodied wines and has attracted more and more attention over the last years.
1998 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Spätburgunder R
2017 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Pure Minerale Riesling Gutswein
2015 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Pure Minerale Riesling Gutswein
2007 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Riesling GG Grosse Lage