Frank Schäfer, the young up-and-comer of the family, redefines the Estate Schäfer with his premium wine line ‚Limit‘. His trademark is unusual, complex wines that are created through a lot of craftsmanship, the best vineyards and a lot of enthusiasm and love for the profession. Packaged in a modern design and limited to a few bottles arouse desires in every wine lover.

Like the 2023 / LIMT / Riesling Haardter Herrenletten

Riesling that is a little different than usual and one of the winery's flagships. Here, the TERROIR IDEA is a top priority. The scent alone, which combines smoky, mineral and nutty components, is surprising. Away from the fruity dwarfs and towards the terroir. The superficial, slightly salty note opens the taste. It's really fun to work your way forward sip by sip. Surprises included. Challenging and provocative with a constant urge to move forward. This balance between fruit sweetness, acidity and alcohol keeps the wine constantly in suspense. If you think that nuances of pine needles, smoke, ivy, nuts, juniper and lemongrass don't go together, try this wine. Away from the mainstream. Delightfully different. But really good. Every sip is a pleasure.

But first things first:

The Palatinate not only has a lot to offer in terms of landscape, but also impresses with a very long wine tradition that stretches back to the Romans. Even older evidence of winemaking comes from Celtic graves from around 550 BC that were found in the Palatinate.

The Estate Schäfer in Mussbach is not quite that old. But the family business combines the virtues of tradition and innovation in an almost ideal way and its wines are among the top products of the Palatinate. It is worth introducing this business in more detail.

The history

When Edgar Schäfer bottled the first wine in 1948, he founded the family winery in its current form; however, the winemaking tradition in the Schäfer family is several hundred years older. In 1964, the Estate Schäfer left the confines of the village center: in the south of Mußbach, in the middle of the vineyards, a house with two basement floors was built. In 1990, a wine and machine hall was added. Axel Schäfer has been managing the estate since 1991. Since 1994, the operating area has almost doubled. Today, 26 hectares are cultivated.

The philosophy

Harmony with nature. Grow healthy plants on healthy soils that produce healthy grapes. The aim is to produce high-quality wines and sparkling wines without high yields. The most important principle is to interfere with nature as little as possible, not just in the vineyard, but also in the winemaking process. Gentle treatment, sufficient ripening time. Support the individuality, intervene as little as possible. Create individuals and not off-the-shelf wines.

Bioland estate since 2023

The management methods include:

• Promotion of beneficial organisms, such as predatory mites and parasitic wasps
• Application of sexual scents to confuse the grape berry moth
• biological control of phylloxera by growing grafted vines
• regular soil tests
• controlled fertilization with manure and compost
• species-rich ground cover
• Avoidance of pesticides & herbicides

The team

Teamwork is a top priority in the two-generation Schäfer business. Senior Axel Schäfer is a trained wine cooper and has also completed a second apprenticeship as a wholesale and foreign trade clerk in an import and export winery. After spending several months abroad in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and in Beaune in Burgundy, he completed the master winemaker's exam after three winter semesters at a winemaking college. Since 1991 he has managed the winery in Mußbach, which he took over from his father. He is responsible for the quality of the wines and the smooth running of the business. He hosts wine tastings in the Vinarium and also in private settings for customers of the estate.

Max Eitel has been managing the external operations since 2016. He is certain that only the taste, maturity and character that the grapes bring from the vineyard into the cellar will later be able to unfold in the glass. He developed his feeling for the "well-being of the vine" during his studies at the wine campus, his apprenticeship at the Neustadt state winery and his employment at the renowned Deidesheim-based traditional Estate Von Winning. He consistently implements his conviction that grapes of the highest quality can only thrive in harmony with nature in the winery. He will therefore continue to drive the transition to organic viticulture in the coming years.

The Estate Schäfer also offers training and offers one or two apprentices to become winemakers each year. The team is supported by temporary staff during the busy periods - mainly from April to June and from September to November.

The wines

As far as the quality classification of their wines is concerned, the Estate Schäfer has found its own solution, which looks like this:

CUVÉE O

In the Cuvée line, selected grape varieties combine to form an unbeatable team as a cuvée, in red, white and rosé.

One leaf

One leaf wines offer carefree enjoyment for all everyday occasions. Finely balanced and aromatic at a pleasing price-enjoyment ratio.

Two leaves

Two leaves characterize sophisticated, tasty wines. With deliberately reduced yields and careful, individual wine production. They are special plants and predestined food accompaniments.

Three leaves

Three leaves stand for unique wines. Excellent terroir, elaborate manual work and natural wine production result in wines with high development potential.

LIMIT

Junior Frank Schäfer has been creating his own line of wines for a few years now. Complex and idiosyncratic, they stand out on their own. The wines are matured "sur lie" (on the fine yeast), mostly fermented spontaneously and have a high development potential. Each batch is only available in limited quantities.

Here are tempting descriptions of wines that you must try:

Let's start with the wine of a so-called Piwi (fungus-resistant) grape variety, which shows that you can also produce wonderful wine from such a grape variety.

2023 / LIMIT / Sauvignac from the steep slope

Delicate, playful scent. Fruitiness, minerality and earthy components in intimate harmony. Pear and pineapple, mushroom and nut, fennel and nutmeg really make you want to try it. Dense and full, this wine fills the whole mouth. The demanding fruit acidity catapults the wine upwards. Grapefruit and ginger, anise and flint. A wild mixture. But that is exactly what makes the wine. This unconventional, this extravagance, this being completely different for once, this interplay between acidity and melting. Lots of surprises that ensure a wonderful individuality. Very interesting!

2024 Sauvignon blanc

The wine literally jumps out at you. But it doesn't want to bite, it just wants to play. Boyish, uncomplicated. A juggler who lets the aromas dance. Cheeky birth. Mineral accents, reminiscent of flint and glacier ice, combine wonderfully with crisp quince and grapefruit notes. This is accompanied by spicy components of mint, nettle and lemongrass. A dewy spring morning. Freshness and liveliness in the taste too. Stimulating and demanding, it doesn't fill you up, but rather makes you want to take another sip. It unpacks the whole nutty palette, flirts with notes of white pepper and crisp green apple and pineapple notes. But that's not enough for this youngster. It surprises with spicy notes of anise and mint, white pepper and green bell pepper. It buzzes, flutters and is hard to grasp. Its fresh acidity keeps it constantly on track. Wonderful interplay between herbal and salty minerality. Everything fits and blends into a harmonious whole. A real jack of all trades. The area use to grow Sauvignon Blanc is constantly increasing. The Schäfers know how to get the most out of this grape variety. But in such a way that drinking is fun and you are not full after the second sip.

2023 / LIMIT / Pinot Blanc Haardter Herzog

An adventure for the nose. The scent alone is enchanting. Minerality in the foreground. Fresh citrus notes, hay and anise, liquorice and brittle compete with smoky, nutty components. Clear and distinct, as if on a presentation plate. There is no end to the smells. This versatility continues in the taste. There is also a slightly peppery note. This opens new doors. Nuances of banana and pear can be tasted. A delicate melt fills the whole mouth. From start to finish, all of this is accompanied by a fine, restrained acidity that keeps the wine constantly moving. Pure harmony. The aftertaste is phenomenal! The following Pinot Blanc combines melt and lightness. An all-rounder that knows how to inspire both as a soloist and as a wonderful food accompaniment.

2022 CUVÉE O Red Wine

A red wine cuvée of a special kind. The deep dark color of this wine alone reveals what to expect. And the expectation is not disappointed. If you want to send your nose on an adventure holiday, then give it this wine. The scent is almost otherworldly. Dense, full, rich and deep. Rising up into berry heaven. Black cherry, wild berries, plum and black currants. But that's not all. Spicy notes of juniper, black pepper, cloves and bay leaves, even a hint of violet scent and a delicate note of orange peel still have room there. You want to smell the glass empty. Is there actually anything left for the taste? Of course! Pure drinking eroticism. Mysterious. Dark and heavy. Deep red lips. Slightly open mouth, seductive, a promising look. The adventure can begin. A gentle whisper. The air buzzes. We dive in, let ourselves fall. The wine and us. Berry dreams. An intoxication of the senses. Warm, soft, plump, fleshy. A liquid Rubens. A cornucopia of flavors that never runs out. Harmony in perfection. Someone is playing the blues here. Soul music. We let ourselves be carried away. No end in sight. Eternity.

2023 / LIMIT / Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese (natural sweet) Mußbacher Glockenzehnt

When every word is too little, every term too profane, every expression too banal, then you have a wine like this in your glass. You are truly speechless. Just the smell makes you think you are wandering through the bazaars of the Orient. Orange peel, ginger, liquorice, honey, candied fruit. In the background, the delicate bitterness of white leather combined with brittle and caramel. The barely perceptible light pepper note carries the raisin note and the rose aromas that can be perceived from afar and keeps the smell suspended. Then the taste. Everything that was previously perceived can also be tasted. The heaven of aromas opens up. Gold and orange as the basic elements. The wine shines and radiates such inner peace that it almost makes you shudder. You are moved and full of awe and pleasure you try and try. New doors keep opening. Michelangelo's ceiling paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Baroque elements. Nature puts its finger to the wine glass. The spark jumps over. Live, feel, be. This is a prime example of how wine is more than just a drink. A wine that brings tears of joy and happiness to your eyes. Revelation and nectar for the soul.

For many years, the winery has been in the top league of Palatinate wines. Year after year, the winery surprises with a wonderful collection.

Wine events, wine tastings and wine tastings

Whether it's an atmospheric wine festival, a leisurely wine hike through the vineyards or an exclusive wine tasting, the Schäfer winery offers a varied program for both groups and individuals. In the warm months of the year, you have the opportunity to indulge in small delicacies in the wonderful ambience of a spacious garden with a view of Hambach Castle, in addition to the wines, in the in-house estate bar.

Motorhome parking spaces

The Estate Schäfer in Mussbach is the ideal starting point for hikes and bike tours. The Neustadt city center is also not far away. The winery offers motorhome owners quiet and beautiful pitches in the middle of the vineyards.

Wine tastings, wine events and spaces can be booked online at: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
or by calling +49 63 21 64 47.

Weingut Schäfer
Schießmauer 56
67435 Neustadt-Mußbach/Pfalz
Deutschland
www.weingutschaefer.com 
Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
Tel.: +49 63 21 64 47

Text: Horst Kröber. Photo bottle LIMIT: Melanie Hubach, other bottle photos: Weißer. Other photos PR unless otherwise stated.