Hanewald-Schwerdt – Pfalz

The family owned and operated estate Hanewald-Schwerdt was founded in 1955 in Leistadt. Today Thomas Hanewald & Stephan Schwerdt run the family business which was established by their grandfather. The two cousins focus on Riesling and Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc being the second most important white variety. The secret of these handcrafted wines is a unique lime-stone reef which dominates all the sites around Leistadt, a hidden treasure away off the beaten track. The vines are old and surrounded by a protected natural resort in the shade of the Haardt mountains.

Grown on sandstone and limestone soils, the Riesling Auf Der Pochel is picked in the morning and sees 4-5 hours skin contact before pressing. It shows citrus & stone fruits with nuances of melons and herbs, a silky, lively texture with good acidity. Hand picked in two steps, the Reiterpfad Riesling undergoes a wild but temperature controlled fermentation to keep the individuality and character of the site. Flavours of dried herbs, pepper and ripe yellow stone fruits with a creamy, nutty palate, fine acidity and a lot of structure. The Spätburgunder was aged in 6000l barrel, a small amount in 225l barrels for one year (20% new French oak). Bright strawberry and cherry notes lead the way with some delicious savoury character and good minerality. The Kalkriff Spätburgunder was aged for two years in small 225l barrels (French oak). Sweetly oaked accentuating the black & red berries it is lively and fresh with great fruit presence all nicely tucked in with the oak spice. Gentle but definite tannings.