Lergenmüller

Fifteen generations of viticulture on the Southern Wine Route

Since 1538, the name Lergenmüller in Hainfeld has been inseparably linked with viticulture in the Palatinate. What began as a farming operation in the southern Palatinate village of Hainfeld grew over the centuries into one of the most significant wineries in the region in terms of area. In the second half of the 20th century, the family under Werner Lergenmüller took the decisive step from a mixed agricultural business to a pure winegrowing operation — and consciously opted for quality instead of volume. Today, brothers Jürgen and Stefan Lergenmüller run the winery in the 15th generation, with Jürgen Lergenmüller as the responsible cellar master. In 1998, the Sankt Annaberg winery in Burrweiler was added as an independently managed branch — located in the Haardtrand-Pfälzer Wald nature reserve, it is considered one of the highest-altitude wineries in the Palatinate. In 2013, the family also took over the historic Schloss Reinhartshausen in the Rheingau.

Hand-picking, spontaneous fermentation, soils with character

The sites extend over around 85 hectares along the German Wine Route from Godramstein to Rhodt. The geological diversity is remarkable: limestone, loess, and variegated sandstone alternate and shape the wines with different mineral profiles. The Chardonnay Pur Mineral, for example, grows on limestone soil, which the winery says gives this grape variety particular longevity. The Grauburgunder Buntsandstein ferments spontaneously at 17 °C and is subsequently stirred on the lees for a week (bâtonnage) — a process that brings texture and depth without masking the origin. The red wines traditionally mature on the mash and are aged in barriques. The winery is Fair'n Green certified and manages its vineyards in a natural way; all grapes are picked and selected by hand.

Burgundy core competence meets Palatinate red wine strength

Burgundy varieties form the stylistic backbone of the range: Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder, and Chardonnay on the white side, Spätburgunder on the red. In addition, the winery relies on international red wine grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo — an unusual decision in the then white-wine-dominated Palatinate, which profiled the house early on as a red wine specialist. The Sauvignon Blanc Feuerstein shows the mineral range of the southern Palatinate soils. The Cuvée Handschrift — a red assemblage with the personal signature of the cellar master — stands for the ambition to think of Palatinate terroir and international stylistics together. Anyone who drinks their way through the range will find both accessible, fruit-driven wines and terroir-driven site wines with clear aging potential.