wine knowledge
“For the red Pinot grapes, a selective hand harvest is absolutely essential.”
Caroline Diel
Production of red wine
Our red Pinot Noir wines, known in German as Spätburgunder, demand a selective hand harvest. This should come as no surprise; all grapes are harvested at Schlossgut Diel this same way. Each harvest involves multiple selective passes to find only the best and most perfectly ripe grapes, which are then destemmed by hand. This especially gentle process involves agitating the grapes across a screen to separate the berries from their stems. To preserve more freshness, the Diel Pinots are vinified together with 25% whole clusters (i.e. with stems). Once the yeast has multiplied as desired, the stomping (known as pigeage) follows—at least once per day by foot to keep fermentation homogeneous and oxidation-free.
This process lasts roughly two weeks. Thereafter the mash is pressed and the wine placed in small French oak barrels—always at least second fill to prevent the wood influence from being dominant! There the wine matures for a solid 1 ½ years before racking (separation from the lees). After a period of settling and rest in stainless steel tanks, it is then bottled unfiltered.