German
The Christmann Winery has long been regarded as a high-quality estate in the Palatinate, but it wasn’t until Steffen Christmann took over in 1996 that it became a top-tier estate producing great, classic Rieslings. Steffen quickly made a name for himself, but he never rested on his laurels; instead, he always kept his eye on the big picture. As early as 2003, the winery switched to biodynamic farming, and during a period when winemaking worldwide was dominated by technology, he focused on large oak barrels and spontaneous fermentation. What is most impressive about Christmann, however, is the evolution that Steffen, together with his daughter Sophie, has undergone over the past five to six years. The winery has scaled back, focusing exclusively on top vineyards, and the wines have gained more tension, minerality, and finesse, while at the same time their distinct style has become increasingly recognizable. Since 2020, Christmann’s wines have reached a new level for us, both in the Rieslings and the Pinot Noirs.
Peter-Koch-Straße 43
67435 Gimmeldingen, Germany
Phone +49 6321 660397
Winery size 20 ha
Member of VDP
We first visited Steffen Christmann’s winery over 13 years ago, and although we liked the wines, we decided at the time to go with another winery from the Mittelhaardt region. That was a big mistake, because while the other winery’s quality has declined—and it hasn’t been part of our selection for quite some time—Christmann’s wines have become better and more refined every year. When we recently met Steffen at the 10-year vertical tasting of Idig, Morstein, and Kastanienbusch and congratulated him on his magnificent series, we could immediately sense that it wasn’t just us who felt a bit of regret over the partnership that never came to be. Gerhard was immediately excited, and true to the motto “better late than never,” they shook hands right then and there on their future collaboration.