At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Pfalz, Mittelhaardt/Deutsche Weinstraße
- Base
- Deidesheim, Villa im Paradies
- Sparkling style
- Méthode Rurale
- Still wine focus
- Riesling
- Farming
- Organic cultivation from estate owned vineyards
The Producer
Marie Menger-Krug develops the sparkling wines at Motzenbäcker, whose premises are in Deidesheim. The estate belongs to the Menger-Krug family. Its work covers sparkling wines and still wines, with Riesling receiving particular emphasis among the still bottles.
The wines named here come from organically cultivated, estate owned vineyards. The family promotes biodiversity and beneficial organisms while loosening and aerating vineyard soils. Roses act as early indicators of fungal danger: when a rose is affected, the vineyard is also considered at risk.
Place
The Pfalz wine region narrows here to Mittelhaardt/Deutsche Weinstraße, with the premises in Deidesheim. The vineyards include parcels in the Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad. Pfalz names the wider regional home, while Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad identifies a more specific vineyard location.
Story
Marie Menger-Krug takes the sparkling wines toward the bottle before they have become finished still wine. With Méthode Rurale, fermenting must is bottled and continues fermenting under pressure. The cellar is cooled with water, and daily samples monitor the development of the wines.
Selected Chardonnay and Riesling spend 11 months in oak, mostly on their first lees, with spontaneous fermentation. Lees are the spent yeast cells left after fermentation, and contact with them can give white wine a fuller, more layered texture.
Wines
The sparkling range includes Motzenbäcker Brut Nature, Motzenbäcker Riesling Brut, Motzenbäcker Blanc de Blancs and Motzenbäcker Rosé Brut Nature. Brut Nature is a very dry sparkling category. Blanc de Blancs indicates a wine made from white grapes, while Rosé Brut Nature identifies a pink, very dry style.
The still range includes Riesling, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder Rosé, Weißburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc and Scheurebe. The 2019 ...dem Himmel so nah Riesling shows exotic fruit, delicate citrus and a fine, layered texture. It has 5.8 g/l residual sugar and 6.4 g/l acidity.
A Bottle To Understand It
The first bottle is the 2019 Alte Reben Riesling. The wine is analytically very dry, with 0.9 g/l residual sugar and 8.0 g/l acidity. It benefits from substantial aeration and further cellaring, making time and air part of the serving plan.
Final Word
The Deidesheim premises known as Villa im Paradies are housed in a Florentine style palace, while cellar samples are taken daily as the wines develop.