Eberbach-Schäfer
Germany, Württemberg
One of my friend, by the way a German architect in China and wine enthusiast, being born at Lauffen, in the Württemberg wine region, recommended this winery from his hometown. He told me, that this winery produces a red wine, more appreciated by his Chinese friends as my beloved Italian red wine. Obviously I could not believe and so we made an appointment for wine tasting at that winery. I was very doubtful, if a Württemberg wine (traditionally producing very thin Lemberger and Trollinger) could match international level of red wine. My doubts were confirmed by a wine travel more than 10 years before to this wine region.
Then the surprise: the winery offers a wide range of white but also red wines including local and international grapes, single and typical grapes as well as Cuvèes as its flagship the “Cabernoir”, a blend between Cabernet and Pinot noir.
We found many wines, easy drinkable such as a Chardonnay feinherb or Spätburgunder fruchtig, but also sophisticated Cuvèes at international level. Most impressive, however, is what they did with the traditional autochthon grape “Lemberger”. 10 years ago, wines from this grape have been made only in Württemberg as a red wine without character, structure or body, an anonymous “German” red wine for the local wine festival. Now with the Lemberger Barrique this grape finally shows its potential.
Having succeeded in the Cuvèes and the Lemberger, the winery showed their ability and winemaking know how. Worth to be tested! For me I learned that it pays to listen to the recommendation of friends even if I am skeptical. In this case of Weingut Eberbach-Schäfer I even needed to apologize for my doubts, because it was so convincing.
