Maximin Grünhaus

Maximin Grünhaus takes its name from the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Maximin in Trier, which owned and farmed the estate for centuries. The first documentary evidence of the property, then called 'Villa ad Valles,' dates to 6 February 966, when Emperor Otto I confirmed a donation originally made by Frankish King Dagobert in the 7th century. The Benedictine monks farmed the vineyards until 1802, when Napoleon's secularization placed the estate under French administration until 1810. After a brief period of private secular ownership, the von Schubert family acquired the property in 1882 and has held it continuously since. The estate lies at the foot of a long, steep, south-facing slope on the left bank of the Ruwer river, about two kilometers before it joins the Mosel, in the municipality of Mertesdorf.

• Documentary record begins 6 February 966; named for the Abbey of Saint Maximin, Trier; Benedictine monks farmed the site until 1802
• Napoleon's secularization led to French administration (1802-1810), then auction to first secular owner before von Schubert acquisition in 1882
• Located in Mertesdorf, Ruwer Valley, on the left bank of the Ruwer river approximately 2 km upstream from the Ruwer-Mosel confluence

Maximin Grünhaus is widely regarded as one of the benchmark estates not just of the Ruwer but of Germany as a whole. Its three contiguous monopole vineyards, all classified VDP Grosse Lage, provide a living textbook for how slope gradient, slate color, soil depth, and microclimate translate into distinct but related wine personalities. The estate's continuity under one family for over 140 years, combined with long-tenured cellarmaster Stefan Kraml's precision winemaking since 2004, has produced an unusually consistent stylistic identity: tense minerality, fine acidity, and exceptional aging potential across every quality level from Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese. Maximin von Schubert has described the estate as one of only three complete monopole estates in all of Germany, with 34 hectares of monopole vineyards and an additional 210 hectares of agricultural land and forest.

• One of only three complete monopole estates in Germany; all 34 vineyard hectares are wholly owned by the von Schubert family
• All three sites classified VDP Grosse Lage, the highest German designation for vineyard quality and site expression
• Certified with the Fair'n Green sustainability seal since spring 2023; estate also stewards 210 ha of surrounding agricultural land and forest

Maximin Grünhaus wines are identified by the estate name, the specific vineyard designation (Abtsberg, Herrenberg, or Bruderberg), and the VDP classification. Labels carry the distinctive art nouveau design introduced under the von Schubert family, featuring the family coat of arms and a view of Grünhaus. In the glass, expect pale yellow-green color with crystalline clarity. The defining signature is fine, precise minerality with racy acidity and restrained alcohol; even Kabinett bottlings at low alcohol levels show impressive structure. The dry Grosses Gewächs wines from Abtsberg and Herrenberg combine saline minerality and citrus-driven fruit with a sleek, concentrated profile; the off-dry Superior bottlings are made from barrels where fermentation stops above the 9 g/L residual sugar threshold for GG wines.

• Art nouveau label with von Schubert coat of arms; vineyard name, VDP classification, and Prädikat level all shown clearly
• Abtsberg GG: bracing minerality, lime and grapefruit, flinty-slate spice, built for extended aging; Herrenberg GG: slightly more generous fruit, red-slate richness, equally age-worthy
• Superior (feinherb) bottlings: off-dry counterparts to GG wines, fermented from select barrels stopping above 9 g/L RS; precise, not sweet-forward
• Kabinett bottlings at low alcohol offer aromatic citrus, crisp texture, and decades of cellaring potential

The three vineyards mirror the historic hierarchy of the monastery that once owned them. Abtsberg (14 hectares), the most renowned, produces wines reserved for the abbot himself. Its subsoil is blue Devonian slate, with slopes of 40 to 75 percent and an elevation of 140 to 270 meters; the shallow, skeletal soils promote pronounced minerality and extreme longevity. Herrenberg (19 hectares) is the largest vineyard and was historically the source of wine for the abbey's choirmasters. It sits on red Devonian slate with deeper soils and better water retention; enclosed toward the rear by the Grüneberg forest, it is a cooler and slightly flatter site. Bruderberg (1 hectare) is the smallest and coolest, sharing the blue Devonian slate of Abtsberg, and originally supplied wine for the monastery's brothers. An early morning sun and early evening shadow make it distinctly cool, producing elegant, vibrant, spicy Rieslings.

• Abtsberg (14 ha): blue Devonian slate, 40-75% slopes, 140-270 m elevation; shallowest soils, most mineral and longest-lived; wines historically for the abbot
• Herrenberg (19 ha): red Devonian slate, deeper soils with good water retention, cooler and slightly flatter; wines historically for the choirmasters
• Bruderberg (1 ha): blue Devonian slate, 50-70% slopes, 140-170 m elevation; exclusively Riesling; coolest site, spicy and elegant; wines historically for the monks

Viticulture at Maximin Grünhaus is conducted in close harmony with nature. Organic fertilizers are used throughout, and wild herbs and grasses are planted as cover crops in place of herbicides or pesticides. Yields are restricted to 45-55 hl/ha, well below the Mosel average of around 80 hl/ha. Grapes are harvested by hand, with multiple passes through the vineyard depending on vintage character. The cellar is sited just minutes from the vineyards, ensuring rapid pressing after harvest. Fermentation proceeds with indigenous yeasts, primarily in traditional 1,000-liter Fuder oak casks made from timber of the estate's own Grünhauser forest, with some wine finished in stainless steel. The Pinot Noir, first re-planted in Abtsberg in 2007, undergoes maceration and fermentation in open stainless steel vats before 18 months in French, Austrian, and locally made barriques.

• Yields restricted to 45-55 hl/ha vs. Mosel average of ~80 hl/ha; hand-harvested with multiple passes per vintage
• Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in 1,000-liter Fuder oak casks made from the estate's own forest timber; balance in stainless steel
• Organic fertilizers, wild herb and grass cover crops, no herbicides or pesticides throughout all three monopole vineyards
• Pinot Noir (Dijon clones 777 and 828) replanted in Abtsberg in 2007; spends 18 months in French, Austrian, and estate-made oak barriques

The Maximin Grünhaus range spans all quality levels from entry-level estate wine to rare noble-sweet Trockenbeerenauslese. The 'Schloss' Riesling is the VDP Gutswein (estate wine), produced from younger vines sourced predominantly from Herrenberg; it replaced the former Monopol cuvée. Since 2020, two VDP Ortswein bottlings are sourced exclusively from Herrenberg and Abtsberg respectively. The Grosses Gewächs dry wines from Abtsberg and Herrenberg represent the peak of the dry range, built around saline minerality and designed for extended aging. Superior (feinherb) bottlings from Abtsberg and Herrenberg offer off-dry counterparts to the GG wines. Kabinett and Spätlese bottlings across all three vineyards represent some of the most age-worthy examples of their respective Prädikat levels in the Ruwer.

• Schloss Riesling (VDP Gutswein) and Grünhäuser Riesling (VDP Ortswein, since 2020) provide accessible entry points to the estate style
• Abtsberg and Herrenberg Grosses Gewächs: saline minerality, citrus-driven, low-intervention dry wines built for 20+ years of evolution
• Kabinett bottlings from all three vineyards show refined citrus profiles and decades of cellaring potential despite low alcohol levels
• Spätlese and Auslese expressions, plus rare Eiswein, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese, complete the Prädikat range in suitable vintages