Weingut Leiner lies at the foot of the Kleine Kalmit nature reserve in Ilbesheim, southern Pfalz. To the north-west, the Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald) extends across a low mountain range; a biosphere reserve whose valleys cast thermal winds across the vines. Sven Leiner manages the 16 hectare vineyard in the 3rd generation. His father, Jürgen, converted what was a mixed farm to pure winemaking in 1974 and, when Sven took the reins in 2002, he pushed forward with the transition to biodynamic farming. Sven and his wife Simone have utter conviction in biodynamic methods. Trusting in the power of observation, they have come to understand the land as a living organism, whose changes and natural processes advise their winemaking. A diverse range of cover crops are sown in the vineyards to stimulate fertility in the soil, with the addition of their own compost and compost teas, the latter made with nettles and a range of herbs gathered by Jürgen. The couple believe that natural wine opens the door to a ‘diverse world of taste’, choosing not to control the wine’s character and flavour with additives.
Bitches Brew, part of the Leiner LP line made in collaboration with Berlin’s Viniculture, is a Pét-Nat with skin contact. A third of the grapes were left whole (using carbonic maceration), another third were macerated and chilled, while the final third were macerated and left at room temperature. More expressive than previous vintages, Bitches Brew 2021 has an exciting structure, lively bubbles and an aromatic twist, with just a touch of tannins – a great match for roasted parsnip.