Weingut Knauss, Strümpfelbach

Andi Knauss started to work together with his father at their family estate in 2004 as the fourth generation. Vineyard land here is expensive, but Andi has slowly built up the estate parcel by parcel, sometimes just a row, and today he got 15 hectares of vineyards.

He was just out of wine school and had finished a short vineyard-practice in Austria, where he learnt how to work organically, when he took over the winery. You can easily say that this is a full-time job for him, making wine from over 18 different plots in Strümpfelbach (the village where the winery is located), Beutelsbach and Endersbach, in the hills around the river Rems..

The vineyards are situated at 300-400 meters above sea level and are composed of different types of limestone, basically layered on top of each other. The work in the vineyards has been done naturally since the start and the winemaking is careful and punctual. Natural fermentations and minimal sulfur are the norm throughout the range and some wines see no sulfur at all – which is a bit of a rarity in Germany.

The whites offer elegance, fruit and heaps of minerality. His reds are aromatic, fruity and delicate.

2020 Apples & Wine

A petnat made from 50% Pinot Noir 50% apples taken from 50 year old trees, 10 different types  that Andi farms in front of his winery.

Vinification: The apples and grapes were directly pressed and fermented together.
Bottled with 22 grams of sugar left to create perfect bubbles.
Disgorged in October 2021.

Extras: Label design by Dryckesbutiken’s very own Lisa.

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2021 Rosé Petnat

Soil: Sandstone, 350-400 meters above sea level
Grape: Pinot Noir (called Spätburgunder in this region)
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1996-2000

Vinification: 17 hours skin maceration before press and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine was bottled with some sugar left to create perfect bubbles.
Disgorged by hand in February 2022, no sulphur added.

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2022 Riesling Trocken (Also in 20 L Key Keg)

Soil: Limestone, Marl, Schilfsandstein, Kieselsandstein, Stubensandstein, made to represent all different soils that Andi sits on.
Grape: Riesling
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1994-2004

Vinification: Direct press before fermenting then aged for 8 months in stainless steel and old 3000 liter barrels.

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2020 Sauvignon

Soil: Schnait, Schilfsandstein, Kieselsandstein, Stubensandstein.
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 2014

Vinification: Direct press then aged in 30% old barrels and 70% in stainless steel tanks.

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2022 Rosé trocken (Also in 20 liter Key Keg)

Soil: Marl and limestone.
Grape: 50 % Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) 25% Lemberger 25% Zweigelt
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1999-2014

Vinification: Three hours of maceration before press and fermentation then aged for 6 months in stainless steel.

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2021 Pinot Noir 20L KeyKeg

 Soil: Sandstone, 350-400 meters above sea level
Grape: Pinot Noir (called Spätburgunder in this region)
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1996-2000

Vinification: 70% destemmed and 30% whole bunch fermentation for 14 days before pressing and aged for 8 months in old 300 & 600 liter oak barrels.

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2021 Lemberger trocken

Soil: Marl, from the Strümpfelbach and Schnait
Grape: Lemberger (also known as Blaufränkisch)
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 2001

Vinification: 80% destemmed and 20% whole bunch fermentation for 14 days before pressing and aged for 6 months in old 3000 liter oak barrels.

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2016 Lemberger Strümpfelbach

Soil: Marl, from Strümpfelbach, 280-320 meters altitude
Grape: Lemberger (also known as Blaufränkisch)
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1987-1992

Vinification: Destemmed then 14 days of maceration on the skins before pressing and aged for 12 months in old 500 liter oak barrels.

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2021 Trollinger ’Pure’ 20L KeyKeg

Soil: Marl and Limestone
Grape: Trollinger
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1988-1998

Vinification: Destemmed and 10 days of maceration in plastic vats before pressing and aged in 500 liter barrels and in stainless steel tanks for 6 months. After this the wine is blended and put into fibre glass tanks for continuous ageing 6 months before bottling.

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2022 Kerner Sweet

Soil: Limestone and Marl
Grape: Kerner
Appellation: Württemberg
Age of Vines: Planted 1994-2004  

Vinification: Late harvest when the grapes have reached rich maturation, without botrytis. 15 hours of skin maceration before pressing and continuous fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Andi stopped the fermentation by cooling the tank when three was 110 grams of sugar left.