Rudolf Fürst

The Furst family is said to have been involved in winemaking since the 17th century, during which time Spatburgunder vines have been a constant presence in Burgstadt. The sudden death of Rudolf Furst in 1975 saw his son Paul take over, a tenure that saw the estate’s holdings increase in size from 6 acres to almost 40, and now Paul’s son Sebastian is taking the reins. As an estate known primarily for its outstanding red wines (though the whites are also very good), its primary holdings are the Centrafenberg Vineyard in Burgstadter itself, a red standstone, moderately steep, due south facing vineyard from where they produce both Centgrafenberg Cuvess and the Hunsruck or Hounds Back, a slightly ridged portion of the vineyard that they refer to as the fillet of Centgrafenberg.

The wines at Furst are some of the very finest, most elegant examples of Spatburgunder we’ve ever tasted. Through a combination of detailed manual vineyard work, some great vineyards, and the very lightest of touches in the winery, Paul and Sebastian are turning region’s reputation for somewhat rustic wines, on its head. Very often mistaken for Burgundy, albeit perhaps a little more texturally sleek, these are undoubtedly world class – and a must for any lover of Pinot Noir and Spatburgunder alike.

The modern era at this estate, under Rudolf's son Paul and his son Sebastian has seen purchases of parcels of vines in the historic Centgrafenberg and incredibly steep Schlossberg vineyards, both famed for their pinot noir production. Every effort is taken it the vineyards to keep yields low, including the replanting 10 years ago of 2/3 of the Schlossberg vineyard with Fin and Tres Fin Burgundian clones. High density planting, green harvesting and intense canopy management are all ways in which the Fursts like to make the vines suffer, in an effort to have them produce even finer, more intense fruit, and purer, finer more sophisticated wines. It is a policy that undoubtedly works, as the ever increasingly high quality output from this superb estate attests to.

2022 Vintage: We were lucky enough to taste the 2022s from barrel last year and already then it was obvious that we had a special vintage on our hands. Renowned Germany specialist Stuart Piggott has gone further, stating that “the Fürst winery is the shining star [in Franken] and the 2022 vintage is the best ever for Sebastian Fürst.” In this part of the region, the soils are primarily sandstone with varying proportions of iron and clay, which impart a red tone to the earth. Breathtaking, ancient, steep terraces make for warm exposures, allied to old vines and Sebastian’s highly accomplished winemaking to produce highly expressive, red-toned Pinots that never fail to impress.