The Black Collection

Andi and Cathrin Wiedemann are the young couple behind the winery, “Der GlücksJäger,” or “treasure hunter,” in German. Indeed, they have unearthed some of the finest sites for grape-growing in the Pfalz, and they exclusively age and ferment their wines in smaller wooden barrels, giving these usually razor-edged wines a bit more subtlety and roundness. Between Andi, Cathrin, and their Dalmatian, Anouk, pictured on the label here, the treasures have poured out of this exceptional Germany winery.

After a calm and predictable Spring, August 2024 was very warm, resulting in excellent quality through the vineyard, and thorough ripening. Yields during harvest were smaller, with smaller berries, but the fruit that arrived in the winery was very concentrated with great potential. It's a vintage with delicate fruit aromas, moderate alcohol levels, and an exceptionally long finish. Harvest was carried out on October 20th.

Hand-harvested grapes undergo 14 days of maceration in wooden fermentation vats. Following pressing, the young wine is transferred to stainless steel to settle before being racked into oak barriques—two-thirds new and one-third second-fill. After twelve months of élevage, the wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

The Pfalz is one of the largest wine-producing regions in Germany - however, like in other large wine-producing regions, there are gems just waiting to be uncovered. Due in part to the altitude here, the higher latitude, and the hardy loam and loess soils, the Cabernet possible here enjoys plenty of ripeness without the high alcohol that usually typifies the wines. A long, slow ripening period, and cool nighttime temperature means that though these grapes are harvested after the grapes in Napa, they are at least 1% less alcohol by volume - full-fruited, broad-shouldered, but refreshingly old school Cabernet, perhaps the way Napa once tasted decades ago.