This week I have been tasting through 5 wines from a lovely German producer Gerd Stepp. Following on from his Scheurebe and vom Saumagen Riesling, here I look at a youthful fresh unoaked wine, Gerd Stepp Pfalz Pinot Blanc 2023.
N.B. As my second attempt to use an AI assistant to edit a tasting video I think this is better, but despite telling it not to edit out any pauses or silences during the tasting it has still removed most of the footage of me nosing or sipping the wine – I hope this will not spoil the video for you.
Gerd Stepp is a winemaker who has worked all round the world and who has brought the knowledge acquired in his travels back to Germany, where he has applied it to his own winery and vineyards. The results are impressive.
Weingut G. Stepp is an estate in Germany’s Pfalz region. Riesling is the region’s prime variety, but Gerd is also well known for red wines from Pinot Noir. He also makes Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer, Silvaner and Cabernet Franc. Over the next few days, I will go on to taste his Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Gerd’s family-owned vineyards in the Mittlehaardt include the well-known Dürkheimer Fuchsmantel, Kallstadter Saumagen and Wachenheimer Königswingert sites. The small-scale of the family holdings means that he also works with around 20 carefully-selected growers.
Gerd Stepp, grew up in the Pfalz, helping out in his family’s grape and apple farm in Bad Dürkheim. After finishing his oenology studies he chose to travel, working in New Zealand for a year. Returning to Germany he worked for 2 years researching soil management at Neustadt.
Gerd went on to work in many other places over the years, one stage he was winemaker at Zimbabwe’s largest estate, before heading to Nigeria to set up a bottling line and on to Italy (Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, Sicily) He worked in Stellenbosch in South Africa and in Argentina.
He went on to work in UK wine retail, first with Oddbins and then in the Marks & Spencers wine department for 9 years, where he helped develop their range, particularly German wines. He continues consulting for M&S after returning to his family’s wine estate in Bad Durkheim, in 2009. He had started his wine consultancy business WeinWerk in Germany in 1994 and took full control of his family estate in 2019.
To find out more about this wine, its pricing and availability follow this link to the Wine-Searcher website: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/g+stepp+pinot+blanc+pfalz+germany/2023?referring_site=DCA
▶️ CHAPTERS:
0:00 Gerd Stepp Pfalz Pinot Blanc 2023 wine label
0:20 Pinot Blanc AKA Weisserburgunder
0:30 Background of Weingut G Stepp
0:40 Varieties produced
1:00 The family’s best vineyard sites
1:17 Soil types
1:27 Gerd also works with about 20 carefully selected growers
1:37 Gerd grew up on his family’s estate in Bad Durkheim
1:47 He went off to study oenology then chose to travel
1:57 Countries Gerd has made wine in
2:35 Worked for retailers in the UK
2:50 Returned to Germany in 2009, took control of his family vineyards in 2019
3:14 Vineyard management uses sustainability, natural fertility, and high-quality, low-intervention practices
3:33 2023 vintage in the Pfalz
5:16 Winemaking style is modern but minimalist
5:22 The majority of fruit was from the Stepp Family vineyards in Bad Dürkheim and Wachenheim. 5:32 These are steep, high-altitude terraced vineyards
5:42 WINEMAKING – Hand picking with selection in the vineyard
5:52 The fruit is destemmed, crushed, pressed and ferments in stainless-steel tanks
6:02 Aged on lees in tank for 6 months
6:18 TASTING – Appearance
6:41 Aromas
7:05 Palate
7:59 Score
8:14 Conclusion
8:29 Wine-Searcher link for pricing
8:33 Thanks, closing remarks and sign-off
▶️Follow this link to watch my tasting video of Gerd Stepp Riesling vom Saumagen 2021: https://youtu.be/umd9dOeo9cE
#winetasting #winelover #winelovers #dcamw #masterofwine #pfalz #rheinpfalz #palatinate #mittlehaardt #baddurcheim #stepp #weingutgstepp #gerdstepp #pinotblanc #pfalzpinotblanc #whitewine #tastingwhitewine #tastingermanwines #tastingpfalzwines #wine #qualitatswein #deutcherqualitatswein
1 Comment
ai most definitely has no idea how to sipp a glass of fine wine.