Castell (Franken/Bavaria, Germany)

The new vintage 2020 has arrived!

Classic vintage with fresh and zingy whites, low in alcohol and easy to drink. Check out our new Bacchus, Riesing and Silvaner 2019 & 2020 wines!

OVERVIEW

The Castell winery is a very unique picturesque place in Northern Bavaria, between Frankfurt and Munich, 100% family-owned over 26 generations by the noble family of Castell.

Castell vineyards stretch across 70 scenic hectares delightfully situated in a climatically propitious niche of Franconia’s Steigerwald (“elevated forest”). The estate wines, single-vineyard wines, and First Growth all manifest the ‘Castell Personality’ – characterised by balanced mineral aromas of the Keuper Formation, the freshness of the terroir and the ripeness of the warm, dry climate. The natural flavours in the wines are fully developed through careful, manual cultivation of the vines, a delicate and patient vinification process and plenty of time devoted to its maturation.

Eight hundred years of viticulture is a long time, in which traditions arise, the experience is passed on and perceptions change into the taste. Already in 1266 the vineyards Hohnart, Schlossberg, Reitsteig and Trautberg were documented and shown on a map of 1497. Castell harvest records date back to the 16^th Century and in one of the first Cellar records, dated 1566, the first two firkins of red wine are found. The Silvaner grape, the variety still preferred in Castell to this day, was planted for the first time on German soil in Castell in 1659 – all this and more can be found in the Archives of the Prince of Castell.

HISTORY

The origins of the Castell family can be traced back to the year 1057. Rupert de Castell was the first of the family to be mentioned in the archives. The oldest record of the family’s right to bear the title of count is to be found in a royal charter of 1205. Almost 700 years later, Prince Regent Leopold of Bavaria raised the Castell-Castell and Castell-Rüdenhausen lines to the rank of princes. Throughout their history the count and princes in their modest domain in the heart of Franconia have devoted themselves to agriculture, forestry and viticulture: records of grape harvests in the Castell archives date back to the 13^th century, and vineyards are marked on a map of hunting preserves dated 1497. In 1774 the Fürstlich Castell’sche Bank, the oldest bank in Bavaria, was founded in Castell. And, indeed this Castell family is directly related to the pen maker Faber-Castell.

THE SILVANER

The Silvaner grape is an Austrian cultivation which only became more widely popular after being planted in the Keuper soil and continental climate of the Steigerwald region (East of Wuerzburg). On April 5^th 1659 the Count of Castell’s bailiff, one Johann Georg Körner, ordered Michel Saueracker the messenger to bring back 25 Silvaner graftings from nearby Obereisenheim, at a cost of eight shillings and threepence halfpenny. At that time no-one dreamed that this Austrian import would mature into the ambassador per se of Franconian wine. In time the Silvaner became a typical Castell grape, with signposts pointing the way to the vines and even a monument dedicated to it. It is besides Riesling the authentic, mainly in Germany grown grape, and until the 1970ies the most grown vine in Germany.

In the ‘Domäne Castell’ Silvaner is our major variety with about 40% of all wines produced. The vine is now perfectly adapted to the heavy gipsum-loam-clay soil of the Castell vineyards. These vineyards, although situated within 2 miles around the village give very individual characters to the wines because of their differing microclimates.

Today the Silvaner attracts more and more the interest of wine writers and critics in Germany and around the world.

THE WINES

CASTELLER SCHLOSSBERG Great Growth, “GG”

Great Growth wines from the Schlossberg – the top Castell vineyard – breathtakingly steep, and south-facing. An extraordinary vineyard, where resplendent white alabaster and proficiency of craft procure the wine’s unique character.

We have limited stocks of the extaordinary ripe Riesling WPS085 from the outstading vintage 2007.

APRILES, REITSTEIG, CUVÉE C - Oaked Wines

Catell winery works with barrels of French and Franconian (Castell forests) oak with volumes of 225 to 1,200 liters. These oaked wines always have a harmonious balance between the flavours of the wine and the oak. They are wines full of character, tinged but not overloaded with wooden aromas. Here Silvaner, Pinot Noir and the Castell Cuvée C show that they are a class of their own.

We currently offer the amazing Apriles Silvaner (WPS079) and the Reitsteig Pinot Noir (WPS087).

Single Vineyard

The “Classic Casteller” single-vineyard wines in the traditional round Franconian bottles (Bocksbeutel) embody Franconian wine tradition in grape varieties and are balanced with elegant acidity and defined mineral notes.

Examples of this line are the HOHNART Riesling Dry (WPS082) and the HOHNART Silvaner Dry (WPS083).

Estate Wines SCHLOSS CASTELL

The ‘Edition Schloss Castell’ are well-chosen single-vineyard Cuvées of traditional grape varieties such as Silvaner, Pinot Noir and Domina, bottled in Bordeaux bottles.

The ‘Schloss Castell’ line is made from Franconian grape varieties presented in the traditional Bocksbeutel: accentuated by fine violet or herbal aromatics, with a balanced note of minerals or fruit - always distinguishably Franconian.

From this line, we have the fantastic crisp SCHLOSS CASTELL Riesling and Bacchus in stock.

Sparkling Wines - SEKT (sparkling wine fermented in the bottle)

Our love and passion for Silvaner finds its celebratory voice in our bottle-fermented Schloss Castell Silvaner Brut Sparkling Wine.

We can offer both the high-end Champagne competitor made from 100% Silvaner grapes, SCHLOSS CASTELL Silvaner Jahrgangssekt brut (WPS076).

Varietal wines - CASTELL CASTELL

Castell-Castell wines are modern wines in a standard bottle (not a Bocksbeutel). They are fruity and dry wines, with a pure and fresh taste. Honoring the first document stating the wine growing in Castell in the year of 1224, we gave this name “1224” to our fruity, well-bodied CASTELL-CASTELL red wine. The Castell-Castell wines are the relaxing glass wine in the evening, the tasty partner to a Mediterranean meal and the easy bottle for a spontaneous get-together with friends.

The CASTELL-CASTELL Silvaner Dry (WPS078) is a fantastic value-driven wine – 35 $ for a 1 L bottle is a steal for this crispy, aromatic and light white wine!

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Bacchus 2021 Semi-Dry CASTELL-CASTELL (1 liter bottle)

A unique Franconian grape, made into a semi-sweet fresh and fruity white wine - quality-driven, grea..

SGD36.00
Ex Tax: SGD36.00