WEINGUT WALLDORF
Max Dexheimer was born the same year the Probstey Vineyard was replanted: 1992. A mere quarter century old, and he’s already producing some of the most captivating wines in the Rheinhessen. He originally learned winemaking and grape growing from his Father, but to further develop his skills he supplemented his schooling by working harvests in places like Austria and New Zealand.
In 2012 he started Weingut Walldorf by leasing small parcels from his parents all around Saulheim. He converted the vineyards to organics and uses certain biodynamic preparations as well (stinging nettle and horsetail tea for instance). The vineyards haven’t been fertilized in ten years now to help restore them to their natural balance.
I met Max at a Generation Riesling event in Germany. His sense of calm, patience, and maturity really come through in the wines. His respect for tradition and willingness to experiment are also admirable. All the wines ferment spontaneously, there is no fining, nor any additions other than judicious sulphur. I can’t wait to see Max grow and continue pushing the boundaries.
Riesling
The grapes for this project come from the town of Saulheim. They are crushed by foot and are permitted to sit on the skins for 8-24 hours. It is then fermented in a combination of 60-year-old 1200L oak cask and stainless steel. Once dry, the wine is lightly filtered before bottling, but no fining agents were used. 12% ABV
PROBSTEY RIESLING
The lieu-dit of Probstey in Saulheim has Max’s oldest vines. The soils here are comprised dominantly of limestone with plenty of marine shells. Flowering was exceptional with dry and calm weather. A cool autumn helped this vintage retain acidity. Grapes were harvested on the 4th and 13th of October. Whole clusters were crushed by foot and the juice was left on the skins for 12 hours. It fermented in large german casks and aged on full lees for six months, before being racked. The final wine has 2g of R/S and 9g TA. 13% ABV
HANNES SPARKLING
The Hannes project changes every year depending on vintage conditions. 2014 yielded the perfect grapes to make sparkling wine so Max went ahead with the idea. This wine is made from Pinot Noir (50%), Chardonnay (30%), and Pinot Meunier (20%). Gentle pressing and a long sur lie period (18 months) are what make this wine so special. It sees no dosage and only 20ppm of sulphur after disgorgment. 12% ABV
WEISSBURGUNDER
The grapes for this project come from the town of Saulheim. They are crushed by foot and are permitted to sit on the skins for 8-24 hours. It is then fermented in a combination of 60-year-old 1200L oak cask and stainless steel. Once dry, the wine is lightly filtered before bottling, but no fining agents were used. 13% ABV
SAULHEIMER WEISSBURGUNDER
This wine is a blend of two lieu-dits: Haubenberg and Hölle. The former lends elegance while the latter provides intensity and richness. The wine is fermented in a combination of second use French oak puncheon and decade old 1200L German cask. The finished wine is lightly filtered and spends nine months in bottle before release. 14.5% ABV
SAULHEIMER SPATBURGUNDER
This Pinot Noir comes exclusively from Probstey in the town of Saulheim. This area is famous for the purity of its limestone soils which lend elegance and structure to the wines. Early flowering followed by a cool summer resulted in an ideal growing season. The grapes were picked on October 3rd and were de-stemmed into open top bins. Gentle punchdowns were done twice per day and after fermentation, the wine was left on the skins for several weeks. The wine spent twenty-two months in oak (20% new) before being racked and bottled. 13% ABV
SILVANER
The grapes for this project come from the town of Saulheim. They are crushed by foot and are permitted to sit on the skins for 8-24 hours. It is then fermented in a combination of 60-year-old 1200L oak cask and stainless steel. Once dry, the wine is lightly filtered before bottling, but no fining agents were used. 12.5% ABV