Kruger-Rumpf
Kruger-Rumpf (70 hectares)
Münster-Sarmsheim / Nahe / Germany
The roots of the Kruger-Rumpf estate date back to the early 1700s. Like most vine-growers at the time, the family sold the majority of their grape production to larger houses or cooperatives. This practice continued through the ninetieth and early twentieth centuries until Stefan Rumpf kept the majority of their harvest to produce their own estate wines in 1984. This move allowed Kruger-Rumpf to focus on quality and express the distinctive terroirs in the family’s holding. Stefan’s son Georg now continues the trajectory with renewed energy and technical skill. Georg studied viticulture and oenology at Germany’s prestigious Geisenheim University. With Georg in the cellar and vineyards, this estate is producing world-class wine. This is an innovative estate that is on the move, always striving for new levels of quality and terroir expression. “I’m still trying to improve what I’m doing,” says Georg. “I’m not at the end of the road and still searching for the best possible expressions for each site that I can produce”.
We’ve been watching the development at Rumpf for the past five vintages with an especially close eye. The number of sites and wines had, at times, felt like it was bordering on too much, even for someone with as much energy as Georg. Married now, with two beautiful girls, Georg credits his wife Julia and family in his rethinking and reshaping the winery. It’s a more conscious decision now, and he knows where he wants to expend his energy and what the future of the domaine is.
The Kruger-Rumpf estate is located in Münster-Sarmsheim, a small village on the western side of the Nahe River, in the most northern section of this region. Paradoxically, though it is the furthest point north and where the Nahe meets the Rhein River, it is the warmest area of this region. Geographically unique, this area represents the intersection of four major German wine regions: the Nahe where the winery is located, the Rheingau and Mittelrhein to the north, Rheinhessen to the east.
The majority of Kruger-Rumpf’s holdings are located on the western side of the Nahe, though they also own parcels directly across the Nahe River in Binger Scharlachberg, which is part of the Rheinhessen. Standing in Kruger-Rumpf’s parcels in Rheinberg (Nahe), one can look out to Scharlachberg across the Nahe River in Rheinhessen, as well as the southern bend of the Rheingau and the Rüdesheimer Berg, one of the most famous parts of the region, visible to the north.
Kruger-Rumpf’s holdings represent some of the greatest terroirs in the region with south-facing exposures and classic Nahe soil compositions, though each is uniquely arranged. The Grosses Gewächs sites are the jewels of the estate: the steep slate vineyard Münsterer im Pitterberg while the Münsterer Dautenpflänzer, a tiny parcel within Kapellenberg is quartzite and loess-clay based. Both sites are south-facing allowing for the production of high quality Grosses Gewächs (dry) styled wines. Binger Scharlachberg located in Rheinhessen, is composed of quartz and red sandstone soils and produces a Grosses Gewächs of power and finesse. The 2 hectare Dautenpflänzer is rarely affected by frost and the top layer of soil is nutrient rich, both factors are important in cultivating young vines. The name Dauten means “shoot” and pflanzer means “planter,” a nod to its previous life as a vine nursery The Münsterer Rheinberg. Located behind the village, Dautenpflänzer is made mostly of quartzite with sandy loam and a south/south-east exposure.
Georg is committed to organic viticulture and while they have been practicing organic for several years, they have started the transition for certification. Bees are kept nearby to facilitate pollination and aid in overall bio-diversity. Periodically sheep are allowed to roam the vines helping to control underbrush. All vineyards are hand harvested to ensure that only optimally ripe grapes are selected. Stefan believed that “you can’t improve wine in the cellar, only make it worse,” and Georg has continued his cellar work with this philosophy in mind. Fermentations occur spontaneously with ambient yeast for the fruity wines. Ambient yeasts are preferred though sometimes a neutral strain of cultured yeast is required to complete its fermentation. Often the wines stay on their gross lees well into spring. The wines produced to show the best of Kruger-Rumpf’s renowned vineyard sites, with brilliance, concentration, and extract.
- Vineyard Area: 40 hectares
- Annual Production: 25,000 cases
- Founded In: 1708
- Top Sites:
- Münsterer Dautenpflänzer: Grand Cru, Loess, subsoil is quartz – Daute means “shoot” and pflänzer means “plant”, an homage to the fact that this was once a nursery. South facing, the older section is steep, and the vineyard is an amphitheater shape.
- Münsterer im Pitterberg: Slate (Devonian weathered grey) – this is a Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) steep south facing site.
- Münsterer Rheinberg: Weathered quartzite and sandy loam– southeast facing, from very steep on the higher sections to gentle slopes with richer soils in the lower sections.
- Binger Scharlachberg Rheinhessen: Grand Cru, Quartz and red sandstone/red slate – The name means scarlet hill, planted in terraced sections rather than straight slopes. Just across the Nahe to the east of Münster, this vineyard is technically in the Rhienhessen in its far northwest boundary.
- Bingerbrücker Abtei im Ruppertsberg: Phyllite, which is essentially mica slate – south facing very steep hillside. Abtei means abbey and this vineyard belonged to the abbey at Bingen, home to Hildegard vom Bingen. Most northern vineyard in the Nahe.
- Dorsheimer Burgberg: Grand Cru, Volcanic Permian era conglomerate, and quartz – quite steep and very small vineyard in Dorsheim, one village south of Münster.
- Münsterer Kapellenberg: Quartz, with some red slate – several sections which are very steep, but similar to Rheinberg where the lower sections have richer soils.
- Grape Varieties: 61% Riesling, 15% Weissburgunder, 13% Grauburgunder, 6% Spätburgunder, 5% Other