A 1989 Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris) from the Wallhauser Pfarrgarten, bottled under the old Prinz zu Salm-Dalberg'sches Weingut name at Schloss Wallhausen in the Nahe. It is a rare mature bottle from what is widely described as Germany's oldest family-owned wine estate.
About This Wine
Grauer Burgunder is the German name for Pinot Gris, a grape that gives fuller, rounder wines than Riesling. The Pfarrgarten, whose name refers to a former parish holding, is one of the Wallhausen sites. 1989 was a warm, early German vintage that gave ripe fruit. Our listing does not give the Prädikat level, but after more than three decades this is a mature, rounded wine, and the #21 on the label marks the individual lot.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Honey, dried pear, candied citrus and gentle spice.
- Palate: Mellow and rounded, with mature orchard fruit and softened acidity.
- Finish: Medium-long, with honey and dried fruit.
Serving & Food
Chill it only lightly, to 10 to 12°C, and pour into a standard white glass once the bottle has stood upright for a while. Open it soon rather than later. Mature Pinot Gris like this is good with roast pork belly, wild mushrooms on toast or a soft cheese such as Brie.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers curious about older German Pinot Gris and collectors of the historic Nahe estates.
Product Details
Producer: Prinz zu Salm (Prinz zu Salm-Dalberg'sches Weingut)
Estate Reference: Dalbergsches Schloss Wallhausen
Country: Germany
Region: Nahe
Vineyard: Wallhauser Pfarrgarten
Grape Variety: Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris)
Vintage: 1989
Volume: 375mL
About the Estate
The estate, known today as Weingut Prinz Salm, is based in the castle at Wallhausen in a side valley of the Nahe. The Dalberg family's vineyard holdings are documented from around 1200, and a 1219 deed records their Felseneck vineyard, still farmed today. The castle was built by the Dalbergs around 1565, and when their male line died out the property passed to the Princes of Salm-Salm.
Michael Prinz zu Salm-Salm converted the vineyards to organic farming in 1988, early for the Nahe, and led the VDP from 1990 to 2007. His son Felix now runs the estate, the family's 32nd generation, with vines on green and red slate and quartzite around Wallhausen and in Bingen.
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