2012 Raumland Blanc de Blancs Grande Reserve (120 months) Extra Brut

The 2012 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Grande Réserve is a pure, intense and fleshy as well as iodine and chalky-flavored sparkling wine entirely based on Pinot Blanc from terra fusca soils (fermented in 78% stainless steel and 23% barriques). This is a spectacular Blancs de Blancs and one of the finest sparkling Pinot Blancs I have tasted from anywhere, Champagne included. Full-bodied, rich, tight, fresh and mineral, with an enormously saline and almost astringent mineral finish but all the power and complexity needed to keep the balance, this is an elegant and finessed but forceful and tensioned, sustainably mineral and expressive sparkling wine of great class and style. This is arguably the finest sparkling wine I have tasted from Germany in 30 years. It was disgorged after 128 months sur lattes in February 2024 with 12% stated alcohol and lots of energy. Natural cork. Tasted in July 2024. "2012 was an outstanding sparkling wine vintage for us," says Volker Raumland. The beginning of the year was bitterly cold and very dry into April. The hoped-for precipitation then arrived at flowering, causing slight coulure and thus a natural reduction in yield. In summer, there was sufficient rainfall and perfect grape temperatures. The result was small, thick-skinned berries in perfect weather conditions for the harvest.