Ökonomierat Rebholz

Pfalz, Germany

The Rebholz estate, in the southern Pfalz region of Germany, is a pioneer in organic and natural winemaking. The estate has been certified organic since 2005 and practicing biodynamic since 2006. However, even as far back as 1951, Eduard Rebholz (1889-1966), who received the title Ökonomierat, an honorary title conferred upon a deserving agriculturist, was commenting on his natural approach: "You will receive only natural wine from my cellar, wine that is the result of intense and loving cultivation of the vines and of similar vinicultural methods (no chaptalization, no artificial addition of a Süßreserve or similar fundamental structural changes that alter the native character of the wine and, in my eyes, mean that it is no longer a natural product."  

This tradition continues with the current generation; Birgit and Hansjörg Rebholz together with their children Hans, Valentin and Helene work as close to nature as possible. In an effort to promote a healthy ecosystem and to protect the environment, they forgo the use of herbicides, synthetic fungicides and mineral fertilizers. They use only organic and biodynamic techniques and materials that promote healthy plants, helping the vines grow strong and prosper naturally. While these methods involve more time and effort, it is a price they are willing to accept in order to best protect and preserve the biodiversity within their vineyards

The earliest recorded history of winegrowing by the Rebholz family in Siebeldingen dates back to 1632. From beer brewer to village mayor, family members have held a wide range of titles over the years. The single constant: always at least one winemaker in the family. Around 100 years ago the Rebholz clan took the estate house, first built in the 16th century, as their family home. The Rebholz family only began bottling their wine following the Second World War, as an alternative to delivering entire barrels to local inns and restaurants

The role of soil in producing quality wine is so crucial that they have spent many lifetimes searching out the finest sites and then preserving and protecting them through organic farming practices. All fruit is picked by hand, in many cases long after their esteemed neighbors have completed their own harvest. 

The Rebholz family believe that this work directly impacts the quality of their wines. Each terroir is defined by its own distinct native flora and fauna, the living organisms in the soil, the natural topsoil and a certain capacity on the part of the vines and their roots to tap into and work with these elements. By nurturing a more natural ecosystem in the soil, they help the vines better express the distinct character of their terroir in their fruit, and thus ultimately in the wines. Then as now, Rebholz wines are neither enriched nor de-acidified. They believe both practices spoil the wine's defining and natural character.

Rebholz wines conform to the published standards of the EU Eco Regulation and have earned EU organic certification. For some images of biodynamic preparations at Rebholz, click here.

There are three distinct terroirs in the estate’s vineyards. In the “South-Pfalz”, where the estate is located, limestone terroir rules and it is ubiquitously present in one part of the Im Sonnenschein vineyard where Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and to lesser amounts Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Muskateller are planted. In the Ganzhorn, a small parcel of the same site, the estate's Riesling excels. It performs the minor miracle of exquisite peach, apple and apricot aromas sourced from colorful sandstone.  Last but not least there is the Kastanienbusch with its rocky, rusty-red soil of the true primary rock from the lower strata of the “new” red sandstone. It simply produces some of the greatest dry Rieslings not only in Germany – but anywhere.

The estate’s 22 ha are farmed biodynamically with a production of about 10,000 cases. 

Twins Hans & Valentin Rebholz did their apprenticeships at Jean Marc Roulot and Frederic Magnien in Burgundy, and Bodega Chacra in Patagonia, which not only added to their inspiration for Pinot Noir but had a huge influence on their Chardonnay wines.

Our Selections

Rebholz Pinot Blanc Estate Dry 2021

100% Biodynamically grown Pinot Blanc from loess/loam soils in the heart of the Pfalz region of southern Germany (Siebeldingen & Godramstein and some young vineyards in Im Sonnenschein GG). After harvesting, the grapes spend 24 hours on their skins in stainless steel tanks before fermentation. This adds extra roundness and depth. This is an elegant Pinot Blanc with lovely aromas of green apple, fresh herbs and lemon verbena. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh acidity. This is an excellent accompaniment to light dishes such as fish, white meat or vegetarian dishes. Dry. Organic and biodynamic.

Alcohol: 13% | Acidity: 6.5 g/l | Residual Sugar:  1 g/l

“From several vineyards on loess soils in Siebeldingen and Godramstein, the 2021 Weisser Burgunder trocken shows a pure, fresh and lemony as well as herbal bouquet with delicate yeasty notes. Round, lush and elegant on the palate, this is a textured, finely saline and stimulating Pinot Blanc from partly very old vines. The wine is provided with playful, very delicate acidity. 13% stated alcohol. Screw cap. Tasted at the domaine in November 2022. 90 Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate - December, 2022

Rebholz Muskateller Dry 2020

New to Field Blend Selections! This is a beautiful dry wine featuring delicate and reserved aromas of bergamot, spice and fresh herbs along with the characteristic fruit notes typical of the variety. The palate is medium bodied with excellent length. This is a beautiful example of Muskateller and is perfect as an accompaniment to Asian dishes or light Mediterranean fare.

The wine spends 24 hours on the skins followed by fermentation in stainless steel. The wine is allowed to clarify naturally. Organic and biodynamic.

Alcohol: 12.5% | Acidity: 6.7 g/l | Residual Sugar: 0.4 g/l

Rebholz Riesling Dry Birkweiler 2016/2017

This is a stunning bottle of dry riesling from decomposed red slate soils rich in iron. Consider this a second wine to the  Kastanienbusch. This is pure and mineral, just a gorgeous bottle with the kind of crystalline purity that is a house calling card. A great introduction to Rebholz.

2017 Vintage: “Peach, apple and apricot on the nose anticipate the strong sense of succulent fruit conveyed on a satiny, glycerol-rich palate. Smoky hints of black tea and piquant notes of fruit pit and seed lend counterpoint on a persistently succulent finish. (As explained in detail as part of my report on the 2016 instantiation of this bottling – which effectively represents the second wine of Rebholz’s Kastanienbusch Grosses Gewächs – it is labeled in US markets not as “vom Rotliegenden” but solely as “Birkweiler.”) 91 Points” - David Schildknecht, Vinous.com - March, 2019

Rebholz Riesling Kastanienbusch GG 2020

Kastanienbusch lies to the west of Birkweiler. At 240 to 300 meters in altitude, this is the highest Grand Cru vineyard in the Pfalz and benefits from excellent air circulation and exposure. Its rocky, iron-rich, rusty-red soil mixed with rare red slate, sandstone, and marl is shallow with poor water retention. The Kastanienbusch is widely considered the finest vineyard of the southern Pfalz and was recognized as such generations ago. Rieslings from Kastanienbusch feature wonderfully spicy, flinty and herbal notes with delicate fruit qualities, persistence and finesse. Kastanienbusch, meaning “chestnut tree,” is named for the for the trees that grow perfectly nearby.

Rebholz has just over 2 ha of old vines in Kastanienbusch on a a 40% gradient.Since 2006 the vineyards are farmed biodynamically. The complex mutual reactions in the ecosystem create remarkable wines and support a better sustainability in this distinctive wine growing region.

After selective harvesting,  the grapes are destemed and rest on the skins for 24 hours. Clarification happens as the wine naturally settles. The wines ferment reductively in stainless steel tanks. The wine was bottled after 6 months on the lees.

The wine shows a perfect balance between ripeness and minerality, fruit and acidity as well as density and elegance. Kastanienbusch typically shows mineral aromas – smoke, pepper, flint, hay, tea and spices as well as typical aromas of Riesling – citrus, apple, peach and apricot.  The palate has the same balance between soil and grape variety: the soil creates the mineral, spicy notes. The wine – like all Rebholz wines – has a high aging potential. 

2019 Vintage Review: “Tasted as a sample in April, the intensely yellow colored 2019 Riesling Kastanienbusch GG is pure, fine and elegant on the intense, flinty and herbal-scented nose. Full-bodied, intense and juicy on the palate, this is a pure, salty, linear and elegant dry Riesling with very fine phenols and good structure. (94-95)+ Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate - August, 2020

Rebholz Riesling Im Sonnenschein GG 2018

Excellent, south-facing Grand Cru vineyard consisting of variegated soils, from shell limestone and colored sandstone to gravel and loam. The vineyard is planted to Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc, with the Pinots planted to limestone. The soft limestone soils add powerful, Burgundy-like structure to the Pinot Blancs and Pinot Noirs while the Rieslings have nuanced fruit notes and excellent minerality. Im Sonnenschein means “in the sunshine.”

"The dusty nose of the 2018 Im Sonnenschein GG opens with a pure, crushed limestone, shale and iodine bouquet but also ripe, bright and concentrated fruit aromas. On the palate, this is a tight, fresh and enormously mineral Riesling with a firm structure yet less juiciness than one might expect. This is a dense and powerful but tensioned and salty Riesling with a long, very salty and complex finish. 94 Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate - January, 2020

Rebholz Riesling Estate Dry 2022

The Riesling Estate is grown on mottled sandstone and quartz soils from Ganz Horn and other vineyards with the same red sandstone soils. The grapes are left on the skins for 24 hours before fermentation in stainless steel tanks

Ripe, mineral, aroma of citrus fruits, apricot and peach. This is a very perfumed vintage. The palate is typical of the colorful sandstone soils with fine minerality, structure, and elegance. Fresh and lively with a perfectly balanced acidity. Perfect with fish and light appetizers. 

Alcohol: 11% | Acidity: 6.5 g/l | Residual Sugar: 1.3 g/l

Rebholz Riesling Ganz Horn GG 2020

A choice, small, Grand Cru parcel within Im Sonnenschein consisting of colorful sandstone, gravel and quartz. Geologically much younger than the surrounding Im Sonnenschein, the gravel and sandstone are alluvial. Riesling excels here with distinct and exquisite peach, apple and apricot aromas, along with salty acidity and amazing length.

This vineyard is between 160 and 225 meters and has a 5 to 20% gradient. The section of the vineyard, known as “Siebeldinger Ganshorn”, is a south facing vineyard side protected from cold winds west of the “Deutsche Weinstraße”. The difference between “Im Sonnenschein” and “Ganzhorn im Sonnenschein” is the type of soil. While “Im Sonnenschein” has limestone soil, “Ganzhorn im Sonnenschein” is colorful sandstone. 

Typical for a wine from this vineyard side is the smell of hot summer days when the first raindrops fall. The wine has a salty acidity and amazing length. The strong mineral and spicy aroma is typical for colorful sandstone it also has elegant citrus notes in the nose. A really complex and elegant wine. 

2019 Vintage Review: “From sandstone soils, the sample of the 2019 Riesling "Ganz Horn" GG is exciting in its intensity, precision and flintiness. The fruit is perfectly ripe and healthy and intertwined with the purity of the terroir in this enclave of the limestone cru Im Sonnenschein. Vibrantly fresh and pure on the salty and beautifully grippy palate, this is a lean and linear, very elegant and finessed but also complex and tensioned dry Ganz Horn with lingering mineral grip and mouthwatering acidity and salinity. Possibly even finer than the great 2018. (95-96) Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate - August, 2020

Rebholz Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) Im Sonnenschein GG 2020

Excellent, south-facing Grand Cru vineyard consisting of variegated soils, from shell limestone and colored sandstone to gravel and loam. The vineyard is planted to Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc, with the Pinots planted to limestone. The soft limestone soils add powerful, Burgundy-like structure to the Pinot Blancs and Pinot Noirs while the Rieslings have nuanced fruit notes and excellent minerality. Im Sonnenschein means “in the sunshine.”

2019 Vintage Review: “The 2019 Weisser Burgunder Im Sonnenschein GG was vinified 80% in stainless steel and 20% in a Spanish tinaja (a neutral clay amphora) from Elisabetta Foradori that the Rebholz family has experimented with since 2014. It is very pure, fresh and flinty on the precise, elegant and aromatic nose, with more Riesling character than what you might expect from Pinot Blanc. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, refined and juicy, very elegant and persistently salty Im Sonnenschein with tension, grip and sustainable salinity. (94-95) Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate - August, 2020

Rebholz Pinot Noir Tradition R 2020

For this complex and elegant red wine, healthy, ripe grapes from organic and biodynamically maintained vines that are over 30 years old are hand selected and destemmed; some of the very small-berried Pinot Noir grapes were added to the destemmed mash in individual tanks. The mash is kept cool until spontaneous fermentation begins. Aged in barriques (30% new) for 19-20 months. Oak from Germany and France are selected to support but not dominate the wine. Dense and complex, with beautiful character. Scents of of white currant and sour cherry, with an herbaceous spicy component. Cool, juicy ,elegant and long on the finish. 12.5% alc., 0.2 g/l RS, 4.9 g/l acidity