Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl GmbH

The winery is located in the municipality of Deidesheim in the German wine-growing region of Pfalz. It emerged from a hereditary division of the Jordan estate. In 1849, Jordan's son-in-law Franz Peter Buhl (1809-1862) inherited a large part. The inheritance was carried on by his son Franz Armand Buhl (1837-1896), and under his leadership the estate achieved international fame for its Rieslings. Highest awards were won at world exhibitions (Paris) and events. At that time, Buhl wines were among the most expensive in the world. In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal was toasted with a Buhl Riesling. The German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) was a great lover of Buhl wines and his quote "This monster tastes monstrous to me" made the Forster Ungeheuer vineyard world famous. The winery received its current name from Reichsrat Franz Eberhard von Buhl (1867-1921), the third generation to run it. After Franz Eberhard's death, his wife Frieda Pieper von Buhl continued to run the business. After the death of the childless widow, it was inherited by Reichsfreiherr Karl Theodor von und zu Guttenberg.

The winery is owned by the Niederberger family of entrepreneurs in Neustadt (the estate also includes the two businesses Bassermann-Jordan and Weingut von Winning). As of January 2014, a new team is in charge. The winery is run by managing director Richard Grosche, cellar master Mathieu Kauffmann (previously technical director at Champagne House Bollinger) and long-time field manager Werner Sebastian. The vineyards cover 60 hectares of vines in the single vineyard sites Herrgottsacker, Kieselberg, Leinhöhle, Mäushöhle and Paradiesgarten (Deidesheim), Freundstück, Jesuitengarten, Kirchenstück, Pechstein and Ungeheuer (Forst), and Reiterpfad (Ruppertsberg). Around 50 hectares are planted with Riesling, the rest with Pinot Noir (4 ha), Pinot Blanc, Rieslaner and Scheurebe. Since 2004, the vineyards have been cultivated according to the certified guidelines of organic viticulture.

Special attention is paid to yield reduction and selective harvesting. In the individual vineyards, the grapes are harvested successively in small baskets in up to five courses, depending on the degree of ripeness. After gentle pressing, controlled fermentation takes place with the aim of producing pure wines with a pronounced fruit aroma, high natural carbon dioxide content and, in the case of mild wines, natural residual sweetness. In the cool vaulted cellar, which is about two kilometres long, the young wine is carefully filtered without fining and stored directly in stainless steel or in double barrels for ageing. This reductive method is intended to preserve the natural varietal and site character of the wines. The wines are marketed in the following lines: Rebsortenweine, Von Buhl, Klassifizierte Lage Kabinett, Klassifizierte Lage Spätlese, edelsüße Weine, and the top line Grosse Gewächse Pfalz. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced. The winery is a member of the VDP.