Clemens Rosenkranz

Clemens Rosenkranz

Sometimes the unexpected is exactly what you've been looking for.

I've been in the Rheingau for 14 years now, and for a long time, the thought has been in my head whether I would ever come across a wine that matched my idea of Pinot Noir in a major wine region like the Rheingau.

Not that they don't exist, but they are far too rare

and mostly in (very) high price categories,

it must also be possible at the entry-level or village wine level.

The first encounter between Clemens and me was pure coincidence.

In January, during one of the training sessions at the Sommelier College in the Rheingau, after a rich dinner, we had the chance to taste some Rheingau wineries. After 2 days of tasting and sommelier training, my focus was more on small talk than wine tasting.

But then there was a wine label "Rosenkranz" and it was Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir); I didn't know the label, so I was curious.

So I approached Clemens, and off we went.

Perhaps I seemed a bit perplexed during the tasting, not because I had already tasted more than enough exciting wines from around the world, but rather because this wine fulfilled the profile I had been searching for all along.

We started talking, and I learned that Riesling and Chardonnay are also marketed under the Rosenkranz label.

And we met again some time later for another tasting in Hochheim.

It was clear to me that I wanted these three wines to share with you and to give Clemens the stage where the wines belong.

Clemens is at home in the family winery Rebenhof in Hochheim.

Modest as he is, he wouldn't necessarily highlight the renowned stations of his winemaking career so far.

In addition to internships at Au Bon Climat in California, these include Weingut Huber in Baden, Méo-Camuzet in Burgundy, and the wineries Knipser, Schnaitmann, and Wagner-Stempel.

After some time at Weingut Dr. Heger, he returned to Hochheim.

His wine style is consistent, honest, bone-dry, and even though it is only the second official vintage of his Rosenkranz line, you can already feel the experience that has gone into it.

Hochheim's loam and limestone soils characterize the grape varieties.

The Riesling comes from the Kostheimer Weiss Erd and is racy with a hint of spice and the elegant length of a Grosses Gewächs but with a perfectly integrated, balanced acidity.

The Chardonnay is one of the youngest vine children in the winery,

and here Clemens sees his greatest playground.

Not only does Chardonnay in Germany have incredible development potential, but its expression here leans towards the elegance of a Chablis and the richness of a Kaiserstuhl representative.

And of course, the Spätburgunder!

Clemens makes his selection from the western vineyards of Hochheim for this. During open-vat fermentation, some whole grapes are added. This provides more bite and spice in the Pinot Noir, followed by maturation in French pièces for 12 months. After another 12 months in the bottle, the wine is bottled unfiltered.

As you can read, I am subtly enthusiastic about the wines!!!

In the future, you can, of course, get his wines from me.