Enno Lippold, a veteran of the German wine scene, acquired his first vineyards in the early 2000s after having worked for the historic Deinhard company for most of his adult life. With vines located in the prized vineyards of Urzig in the Mosel valley, Lippold then set out with his friend and partner Benedikt Pfeifer to produce Riesling wines that would be released only after spending an appropriate time in bottle. The appropriate time varies between vineyards & vintages, but Lippold and many Riesling lovers believe that the nuanced complexity that makes this varietal shine, is not apparent to the taster early after bottling. Only after 2-4 years in bottle do these wines begin to show their potential.
The bulk of Lippold's holdings are in the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard, located mid-slope on the south exposed bend of the Mosel above Urzig, not far from Bernkastel-Keus. He describes his vineyard work as 95% organic. This means that he reserves the right to use a selected treatment to save the crop, when all other organic means have been eliminated. Vinification is traditional using only stainless steel tanks for both fermentation and aging. The wines are bottled after 8 months and released when deemed appropriate. |