Summary
Weingut Maximin Grünhaus on the Ruwer is one of the most history-laden and respected addresses in Germany. Around 34 hectares of steep slope stretch out as a single, self-contained south-facing hillside – the Grüneberg – behind the manor in Mertesdorf near Trier. The extraordinary thing: the hill is divided into three monopole sites that belong entirely to the estate – Abtsberg, Herrenberg and Bruderberg, named after the old hierarchy of the St. Maximin monastery. From predominantly Riesling, precise, mineral and remarkably long-lived wines are made here. The estate has been owned by the von Schubert family since 1882, today in the sixth generation under Maximin von Schubert.
History
Few wine estates can trace their history back as far as Grünhaus. As early as 633 AD the estate is mentioned in a deed of gift to the Benedictine monastery of St. Maximin in Trier; Emperor Otto I confirmed the holding in 966. For more than a thousand years the monks tended the Grüneberg – the name „Maximin” Grünhaus still recalls this monastic past today.
The secularisation under Napoleon ended the monastic era; the estate passed into secular ownership. In 1882 it was acquired by the industrialist Carl Ferdinand von Stumm-Halberg, who brought it as a dowry into the von Schubert family, in whose hands it has remained ever since. In 1981 Dr. Carl von Schubert took over its management, and in 2014 his son Maximin von Schubert followed him in the sixth generation.
Location & Terroir
The vineyards of Grünhaus form a single, self-contained south-facing slope above the Ruwer, a small, cool side valley of the Mosel near Trier. The soils consist of weathered red and blue Devonian slate, which stores warmth and gives the wines their unmistakable minerality.
The slope is divided into three sections, which the monks already named according to their rank: the Abtsberg (around 14 hectares) is considered the best site – steep, finely mineral, with racy acidity and great finesse. The Herrenberg (around 19 hectares) is somewhat cooler and less steep, its wines fruit-forward and accessible even when young. The small Bruderberg (around 1 hectare) produces spicy, salty-fresh wines. The cool Ruwer climate provides the fine, vibrant acidity responsible for the enormous ageing potential.
Style & Philosophy
Grünhaus stands for a classic, mineral, cool Ruwer style. The wines are made in a restrained way, with the aim of reflecting the character of the respective monopole site and vintage as clearly as possible. The focus is on Riesling across the full spectrum – from the dry Großes Gewächs through off-dry and fruity-sweet Prädikat wines (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese) to nobly sweet peaks in suitable years.
Characteristic are the fine acid structure, the saltiness and the slender, long-lived stature of the wines. In recent years the estate has also developed the Pinot Noir from the Abtsberg, showing that the slate site can bring forth serious red wines too. A fine sparkling-wine range rounds off the portfolio.
Notable Sites & Wines
The entire range comes from the estate's three monopole sites:
- Abtsberg – the most famous site, steep and finely mineral; Rieslings of great finesse and longevity, plus a Pinot Noir and the highest Prädikate
- Herrenberg – fruit-forward and somewhat more accessible, with a clear acid structure
- Bruderberg – the smallest site, spicy, salty and rustically mineral
Within the sites the range reaches from the dry Großes Gewächs through Kabinett and Spätlese to Auslese and nobly sweet rarities. The Abtsberg Rieslings are among the longest-lived white wines in Germany.
Awards
Maximin Grünhaus has for decades been regarded as one of the icons of German Riesling and is consistently represented in the top group of the leading wine guides. Carl von Schubert was named „Winemaker of the Year” by Gault&Millau. Above all, however, it is the unique constellation of three monastic monopole sites, combined with an unbroken winegrowing history spanning more than a thousand years, that secures the estate its special rank among the great wine estates of the world.