Weingut Disibodenberg

The 2014 edition of the Gault Millau, Germany's most important wine guide, confirmed Weingut Klostermühle Odernheim's spot among the Nahe elite. Its praise extended to the estate's entire unusually broad range of products: red wines, sparkling wines and spirits, Pinot Blancs and Riesling. Wines from Klostermühle are assessed as "singularly drinkable and beautifully pure" and "fascinating," with "exceptional depth and spice." "This dynamic estate is once again headed to the top," it concludes. While we love to read a good review, our customers' satisfaction is even more important. Our estate has a long and rich history. It was first established in medieval times to handle the agricultural commerce at Cloister Disibodenberg. The Cloister gained world cultural/historical significance through the presence of Hildegard von Bingen, who lived here for more than 30 years and whose most famous work, "Liber Scivias," was composed here. Following the de-consecration of the cloister during the Reformation, the mills and vineyards were transferred into the ownership of the territorial lords, the dukes of Pfalz-Zweibrücken.

From the mid-18th century to 1992 the estate was run by the Schmidt Family of Odernheim. They re-envisioned the operation in the late 1960s, including a significant expansion of their vineyard hectarage and a new concept for their work in the winemaker's cellar. Perhaps most notable was their focus on the Pinot trio, especially the Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) — a virtually unheard of approach at that time on the Nahe.

In 1992, Dr. Peter Becker and Christian Held purchased the estate. Together they vastly expanded operations, launched the production of sparkling wine, and with the help of General Manager Thomas Zenz brought strongly positive change to the quality of the wine and the reputation of the estate.

2009 saw a fundamental reorganization: Dr. Peter Becker sold his share of the company, Cellarmaster Thomas Zenz became a partner in the firm, in addition to his role as general manager, and Herwart Wilms, Hartmut Haase and Uta Armbruster-Held were adopted into the company as limited partners. With Thomas Zenz overseeing operations, the quality continued to improve. Additional significant investments were made in the vineyards and the technology. In Meisenheim, the Boos von Waldecksche Hof estate was renovated and the Boos von Waldecksche Hof distillery was founded. It immediately earned itself a stellar reputation for high-quality fruit and pomace spirits. The 13-ha estate of Klostermühle Odernheim today consists solely of steep hillside vineyards, many of them the best in the Odernheim sub-district. Annual production totals approx. 110,000 bottles, including 30,000 bottles of sparkling wine and 3,000 bottles of spirits. The "Kloster Disibodenberg" vineyard in particular merits mention, as it is considered one of the finest sites on the entire Nahe and has been described as one of the grand plots of German terroir. The estate holds sole proprietorship of the Montfort, "the" Pinot vineyard on the Nahe, as well as a majority of Odernheim's "Kapellenberg." Meticulous management of the vineyards, with a focus on natural methods, and rehabilitation of older vines are the basis for concentrated, extract-rich wines marked by both fruit and minerality. The most important varietals are Riesling, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), each roughly a quarter of total production. The remainder is comprised of Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Frühburgunder (Pinot noir précoce), Chardonnay, Silvaner and Gewürztraminer.

In the cellar, white wines are aged in small stainless steel tanks (600, 1,200 and 2,400 liters each); this helps draw out extra pure and characteristic fruit notes. All our Pinot red wines and several white are aged in wood. In addition to the traditional Stück (1,200l) barrels, we also use smaller Barrique (225 to 300l) casks. The sparkling wines are created in our cellar using the traditional method. The spirits are created in our distillery in Meisenheim, designed to work with cutting-edge modern methods that extract the fruit aromas in their full, unadulterated glory.