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DATA, INFORMATION, FACTS Vineyard area: 13,6 hectare Best Sites: Siebeldinger Im Sonnenschein, Hainfelder Kapelle and Letten, Burrweiler schlossgarten, Edesheimer Rosengarten Soil: Löß, Löß mit Hangschotter, Muschelkalk, Buntsandstein, Letten Grape varieties white: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muskateller, Gewürztraminer Grape varieties red: Pinot Noir, Saint Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Meunier, Dornfelder Blend of grape: Variety ha share in % Riesling 3,5 25,2 Pinot Gris 1,4 10,2 Pinot Blanc 1,2 8,8 dornfelder 1,0 7,4 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 0,9 6,7 Pinot Noir 0,8 5,7 saint Laurent 0,6 4,4 Chardonnay 0,5 3,7 sauvignon Blanc 0,5 3,5 and others like Merlot, Gewürztraminer, Muskateller, Sylvaner, Pinot Meunier Average yield per hectare: 6.500 Liters Average production per year: 84.000 bottles Best vintages: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 Membership: Barrique Forum Pfalz, Pro Riesling e.v. - 2 -
Thomas Lergenmüller The gentle handling of the nature is the basic requirement for achieving highest qualities in wine. This is the maxim we have been working after for ages and it attests itself from year to year again. Portrait With views of the remarkable Villa Ludwigshöhe and the Annakapelle, Thomas Lergenmüller has worked in his own wine estate since 1996. He was the youngest of his age group, finishing his training in the mid 1980 s with the degree Winzermeister (Master Wine Grower). He soon took the opportunity to travel to South Africa. The biggest influence on his actual producing methods came from working and living there. Working in South-Africa right after the end of the apartheid imprinted me very much, said the young winemaker. I learned from my colleagues there to work hard-edged and considering many details. Today Thomas Lergenmüller is married to Ulrike and is the father of two children. He focuses himself on the grape varieties Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir in the top range. Since he converted the entire wine estate to ecological cultivation, it has made it possible for him to work with natural fermentation, which means to work with wild yeasts. The wine production on the THEODORUS wine estate gained a deeper dimension. The wines have become more complex and sophisticated, making him very proud. The wines should be bottled without any changes from outside. It fascinates me to produce wines that might taste like the Rieslings of 80 to 100 years ago. You can be sure the THEODORUS wines will cause a furor in the coming years. - 3 -
The THEODORUS Vineyard The THEODORUS Vineyard is steeped in tradition and has been a wine growing estate and a wine producer since 1778. It is situated on the German Weinstrasse and with over 230 years of experience offers a wide range of wines of the highest quality. The current THEODORUS wine estate was built in 1975 outside of the picturesque village of Hainfeld on the Weinstrasse by Thomas parents, Inge and Theo Lergenmüller. It is also home to the Lergenmüller family today. Covering an area of about 4.000 qm, the wine estate is situated at the edge of the village with a beautiful view of the Palatinate Forest and the surrounding hilly landscape. In 1996 the family business was handed down to Thomas Lergenmüller. Thomas, married to Ulrike and father of 2 children, holds a degree in business administration and has a vocational qualification as a Master Wine Grower. This along with his practical experience, some of which he gained abroad, are the basis of his wine growing practices which focus on the quality of the wine. Selective hand-picking in vineyards in the best locations, the gentle processing of the grapes, and the slow fermentation with natural selected yeasts result in a distinct mark of quality for all his wines. On a wine growing area of nearly 14 hectares, wine is grown and produced using state-of-the-art methods on an ecological basis. Thomas puts great emphasis on plant protection, organic fertilizing, landscaping and environmentally benign working methods. The vineyards are scattered around the wine village Hainfeld. The most renowned wine-growing areas (under the area-classification from the Prädikatsweingüter der Pfalz ) are: Burrweiler Schlossgarten Im Golden Jost und Schäwer, Weyherer Michelsberg. Also the vineyards around Hainfeld Kapelle and Letten, Edesheim Rosengarten and Mandelhang, Flemlingen Vogelsprung and Herrenbuckel. The THEODORUS wine estate also owns vineyards within the boundaries of the village of Siebeldingen in the area Im Sonnenschein. It is especially the Riesling and the Burgundy grapes which benefit from the heavy clay-rich limestone soil of that area. The wine is aged in barrels and bottled on the premises. The annual capacity of 84,000 bottles is marketed by THEODO- RUS wine estate itself. While 80 per cent of the wines are sold to retail customers directly, the remainder is sold to wholesale dealers and the catering industry. For wine connoisseurs and friends of fine wines, Thomas constantly comes up with new flavors that flatter the palate. For example, his exquisite baroque wines, red and white: Saint Laurent, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Dornfelder, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and the brand new Sauvignon Blanc in the THEODORUS wine family. Always looking for the best result, he keeps testing the combined use of new oak barrels and barrels that have been used once or twice before. For the champagne production the wine grower has recently changed the former approach of THEODORUS estate completely by using Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir grapes. He selects the finest qualities to produce a future premium Rosé and Blanc de Noir Champagne which takes several years to produce. However, a limited selection is available. It is the philosophy of Thomas Lergenmüller to pay attention to the more traditional grapes, such as Riesling and Burgundy, but not to neglect new developments in the wine industry. This is why some vineyards have been planted with international grape varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. - 4 -
Soil and Sites The sites of the nearly 14 hectare THEODORUS wine estate are imprinted by the soil variety due to the river Rhines graves breach. Löß - Loess Found in the area of Hainfelder Kirchenstück (church piece) and partly in the Hainfelder Kapelle (chapel) changeover to red sandstone and gravel, and in the area of Vogelsprung (bird jump) and Herrenbuckel (gentleman s hunchback) of Flemlingen. Here the THEODORUS Sauvignon Blanc and Muskateller varieties that need a lot of warmth grow the best. Löß mit Hangschotter- Loess with rubble In the individual site of Edesheimer Rosengarten (rose garden) found in the upper ground loess in the lower seams gravel and rubble - a very warm site with the best conditions for the Chardonnay. Also in the Hainfeld Spess area (the individual site Kapelle (chapel)) the Pinot Meunier is imprinted by the loess in the upper ground and sandstone with gravel in the lower ground. Muschelkalk Shell limestone Shell limestone, rubble and heavy clay- the site Siebeldinger Im Sonnenschein (in the sunshine) which offers excellent climate and soil conditions for the burgundy varieties Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, but even the best THEODORUS Riesling derives from here. The marl lime influences the burgundy with a smooth acidity, also the Riesling, and helps it to develop aromas of an exotic fruit of goose berry and maracuja. The wines of this site have a notable aging potential. The southern part of the Siebeldinger site Auf m Berg (on the hill) and Mönchswiese (monk s lawn) are imprinted by the falling winds of the Annweiler valley. So there remains a fresh acidity in the wine and the drying effect at humid weather conditions contributes to the healthiness of the grapes. Buntsandstein - Sandstone In the area of Hainfelder Kapelle (chapel) - red and yellow sandstone - and Weyher Michelsberg (michaels mountain) - yellow sandstone the Rieslings grow particularly good. The slight gradient slope towards south contributes to the accumulation of outstanding aromas. With 26% Riesling and 34% burgundy species (Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay) Thomas uses the potential of this soil especially for dry wines. Letten Potter s Clay The yellow heavy clay is found in the area of Hainfelder Letten (an area in the north of Hainfeld towards the neighboring village Rhodt). A rich clay soil with a slight acid ph-value that is ideal for the aroma accented Gewürztraminer. - 5 -
The THEODORUS Winefamily The THEODORUS wine assortment is subdivided in following wine-categories depending on quality of the wines and method of making: 1 Litre Wines The autochthonal basis range of the THEODORUS wine estate. Gutsweine - Estate Wines Base wine for our qualities deriving from the regional typical grape varieties Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Saint Laurent, Rivaner, Grüner Silvaner, Scheurebe and Dornfelder. But one can also find exotics in the THEODORUS Gutswein assortment like Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot and fruity rosé and cuvée wines. These wines are available in dry, semi-dry and mild taste. Wines The two stars wines are hand-picked and strictly selected quality wines of the german distinctions Kabinett and Spätlese. They derive from the best THEODORUS vineyard sites with an average yield of max. 70hl/ha. These are quality distinction wines with a high standard such as Riesling Hochgewächs and Blanc de Noir. They are fermented dry or semi-dry taste. Wines The decoration of three stars receive only decorated hand-picked and strictly selected quality wines of the german distinction Spätlese and Auslese. They derive from the best vineyard sites of the Palatinate like Siebeldinger im Sonnenschein, Hainfelder Letten and Edesheimer Rosengarten with an average yield of max. 45hl/ha. Further criteria are that they are traditional grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer, that they have grown on old vines and that it is a an excellent vintage. The THEODORUS *** wines are only available in dry or sweet taste. Plants (young cultiva) Thomas main emphasis is on slow growing plants which have not been cultivated to bring a quick yield. The power of growth has to reach the grape and not the growing of the leaves. Organic Fertilizing An optimal nutrition of the vine plants is very important for the wine grower. Therefore soil analysis are made on a regularly basis which give him information about the nutrient content in the soil. A balancing fertilizing is made then exclusively with organic nutrient suppliers like compost and lime. - 6 -
Plant Protections The THEODORUS Vineyards need protection from fungus diseases. In order to strengthen and protect the plants only ecological products are used. Here is the device: as less as possible, as much as necessary. The quantity of spraying was reduced to a minimum. Insecticides, herbicides or acaricides aren t used at all. Vine Pruning and Foliage Treatment Yield restriction measures increase the quality. With the cutting methods in winter/spring and the cluster thinning the quality aims for the next vintage are fixed very early. Harvest In autumn the fruit of the labors with the soil and vine are harvested. It is not sufficient to plant the right grape variety on the correct corresponding soil. As everybody knows, the highest quality wines require the highest quality grapes. Just before the harvest the vines are cleaned, removing rotten and green twigs. Further measures such as the selection of grapes according to their maturity are required. Therefore the grapes are hand-picked. Grape Processing All grapes are removed from the bitter stems and stalks. Treating the grapes very gently without pumping helps keeping the important aromas preserved which were formed by the uniqueness of the THEODORUS vineyards. The site characteristics and the grape variety pureness are very important for the temperature-controlled fermentation. All THEODORUS wines are fermented at cooler temperatures than recommended. Fermenting the young wine with the yeast as long as possible results in the maximum aroma variety. Further wine treatment may occur, depending on quality and vine variety. With a tight yield restriction of an average of 6.500 liters per hectare (in 2010 even 4.900 liters per hectare), a late harvest, careful selection of the grapes and weights of the must with levels over the regulatory demands Thomas obtains his premium wines. THEODORUS premium red wines often require a little more time to open all their nuances of flavor and aroma. Due to this, some of wines are only available several years after the harvest. The longevity of the THEODORUS wines should convince you of this time and time again. - 7 -
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 2011 2010 DLG Auszeichnungen 2011 Gold: - Grauer Burgunder trocken 2009 International Wine Challenge 2011 Silber: - Chardonnay Spätlese trocken 2009 Commended wine: - Riesling Spätlese trocken 2009 Kammerpreise 2011 Gold: - Pinot Gris Spätlese trocken 2009 Silber: - Riesling Spätlese trocken 2009 - Grauer Burgunder Spätlese trocken2009 - Schlossgarten Grauer Burgunder trocken 2009 - Weißer Burgunder Spätlese trocken 2009 - Rotwein Cuvée Liebelei trocken 2008 - Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2008 - Saint Laurent 2009 - Dornfelder trocken 2008 - Kerner 2010 - Riesling Hochgewächs halbtrocken 2010 - Riesling Kabinett trocken 2010 DLG Auszeichnungen 2010 Silber: - Chardonnay Spätlese trocken 2009 - Gelber Muskateller halbtrocken 2009 MUNDUSvini Internationaler Weinpreis 2010 84 Punkte: - Spätburgunder B trocken 2008 82 Punkte: - Riesling Hochgewächs trocken 2009 - Riesling Hochgewächs fruchtig 2009 Kammerpreise 2010 Silber: - Riesling Hochgewächs trocken 2009 - Riesling Hochgewächs fruchtig 2009 - Weißer Burgunder Spätlese trocken 2009 - Chardonnay Spätlese trocken 2009 - Cuvée Sophie Katrin trocken 2009 - Saint Laurent B trocken 2007 - Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot B trocken 2007 Degustationswettbewerbe der Wein-Zeitschrift Sélection: Kategorie: Internationale Sommerweine 2010 Zwei Sterne : - Liebelei trocken 2009 - Secco bianco»s«trocken Kategorie: Profilweine Pfalz 2010 Zwei Sterne : - Weißer Burgunder trocken 2009 Kategorie: Cabernet 2010 Zwei Sterne : - Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot B trocken 2006-8 -
contact Where to find us... THEODORUS Wein- und Sektgut Owner Thomas Lergenmüller Theodorhof D-76835 Hainfeld Fon +49 6323-5034 Fax +49 6323-980430 Berlin info@theodorus-wein.de Frankfurt HAINFELD München Member of Barrique Forum Pfalz und Pro Riesling e.v. - 9 -