Summary
Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim is regarded as Germany's most acclaimed sparkling wine house. Since Volker Raumland founded the estate in 1984 and settled in southern Rheinhessen in 1990, the family has pursued a single goal: sparkling wine at the very highest level, made uncompromisingly by classic bottle fermentation. Across around 14 hectares of its own, organically farmed vines grow the classic Champagne varieties Chardonnay, Spätburgunder and Schwarzriesling. Long lees ageing and traditional hand riddling give the vintage Sekts and prestige cuvées their finesse and depth. The fact that Raumland was admitted to the VDP on 1 January 2020 as the first pure sparkling-wine estate underlines its exceptional standing.
History
The story of the house begins in 1984, when Volker Raumland (born 1955) founded his own sparkling-wine project. Even then his idea was unusual: not wine and Sekt side by side, but full concentration on sparkling wine – made on the model of the great houses of Champagne. In 1990 he found his permanent base in Dalsheim, a district of Flörsheim-Dalsheim in southern Rheinhessen, where he took over his own vineyards and made an Art Nouveau villa the seat of the estate.
Over the years Volker Raumland, together with his wife Heide-Rose, built a reputation few German sparkling-wine producers had ever enjoyed. Since around 2019 both daughters have been involved: Katharina as an oenologist and Marie-Luise in the business. The milestone so far was admission to the VDP on 1 January 2020 – as the first pure sparkling-wine estate in the tradition-rich association.
Location & Terroir
Raumland lies in southern Rheinhessen, Germany's largest wine region, long known above all for volume and, in recent decades, rediscovering its top sites. Around Dalsheim there are calcareous soils that give the base wines for Sekt exactly what they need: firm structure, clear fruit and lively acidity.
The central site is the Dalsheimer Bürgel, a VDP.Große Lage (grand cru) that yields especially fine base wines. The roughly 14 hectares are farmed organically; low yields and an early, careful harvest are the foundation for base wines with the necessary backbone. Good Sekt begins in the vineyard – only a precise, acid-driven base wine can carry the long ageing on the lees.
Style & Philosophy
The house relies exclusively on classic bottle fermentation (méthode traditionnelle). The second fermentation takes place in the bottle, followed by long lees ageing that gives the Sekts their fine mousse and the typical aromas of brioche, nuts and baked pastry. Riddling is done traditionally by hand – a laborious process that hardly any estate of this size still practises throughout.
The wines are built from the classic Champagne varieties Chardonnay, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier), complemented by Weißburgunder and Riesling. At the centre are vintage Sekts and prestige cuvées allowed to mature for years. Raumland's style combines the precision and freshness of German base wines with the depth and creaminess of long lees ageing.
Notable Sites & Wines
The collection ranges from the classic Brut to the long-aged prestige cuvées. Among the best-known wines are:
- “Triumvirat” Grande Cuvée – the flagship made from Spätburgunder, Chardonnay and Schwarzriesling, named after the interplay of the three classic Champagne varieties
- “MonRose” – a fine, structured rosé Sekt
- Blanc de Noirs cuvées from the Pinot varieties, including the Sekts “Katharina” and “Marie-Luise”, named after the daughters
Underpinning all these wines are the base wines from the estate's own sites around Dalsheim, foremost the Dalsheimer Bürgel.
Awards
For years Raumland has been rated as Germany's best sparkling-wine producer. In the leading wine guides – among them Eichelmann and Gault&Millau – the house has repeatedly been recognised for the best sparkling-wine collection and has carried off titles such as “Sparkling Winemaker of the Year” and “Sekt of the Year”. Admission to the VDP as the first pure sparkling-wine estate is the official confirmation of what critics have long said: Raumland has raised German grower Sekt to a new level.