The winery is located in the municipality of Neustadt-Duttweiler (Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße area) in the German wine-growing region of Pfalz. Its origins lie in the estate in Duttweiler, which has belonged to the Benedictine monastery of St. Lamprecht since 1290. After the dissolution of the monastery of St Lambrecht, the monastery estate in Duttweiler was bequeathed to the University of Heidelberg in the 16th century, which administered it for 200 years. The foundation stone was laid in 1838 with the construction of the sandstone vaulted cellars. Following a division of the estate in 1900, an adaptation and a marriage, the winery is now run by the fifth generation of the Nett family; Christian Nett is the managing director.
Vineyards & grape varieties
The vineyards cover 30 hectares of vines at 120 to 140 metres above sea level on soil layers over ten metres thick, consisting mainly of loess and clay with fine limestone veins. Kiwis, figs, almonds and chestnuts also ripen in the almost Mediterranean landscape. The vines are cultivated in the single vineyard sites Kroatenpfad (Lachen), Mandelberg (Duttweiler), Mandelberg (Kirrweiler) and Doktor (Venningen).
The white wine varieties Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, Scheurebe, Kerner, Rieslaner, Auxerrois, Silvaner and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the red wine varieties Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Cubin, Cabernet Mitos, Dornfelder, Heroldrebe, Lagrein, Primitivo (Tribidrag) and Syrah are cultivated. The vineyards are cultivated according to natural, sustainable criteria.
Winemaking & product range
The cellar work is carried out in a gentle manner with soft pressing, controlled fermentation of the musts and long storage on the fine lees. Depending on the type of wine, the wines are matured in stainless steel tanks, barrique barrels, large wooden barrels or stone barrels. The extensive product range comprises two groups.
The "estate wines" are divided into the lines Avantgarde(terroir wines, best vines from the best plots), Edition (dry wines of origin from young plots) and Tradition (dry varietal wines from newly planted vineyards).
The "concept wines" are characterised by a clear flavour profile; the origin is in the background. There are four lines Noble sweet(Auslese, Beerenauslese and possibly ice wine), specials, branded wines and litre wines.
The company's premium wines include Avantgarde Pinot Blanc (aged in 500-litre wooden barrels and stainless steel), Avantgarde Lagrein (aged in barriques and stainless steel) and Concept Réserve Primitivo (aged in barriques). Bottle-fermented sparkling wine, Secco (semi-sparkling wine) and dealcoholised wine are also produced.
Pictures: Bergdolt-Reif und Nett
