Laumersheim is a village in the Pfalz wine region in western Germany. In addition to apples and almonds, the small, agriculture-focused village grows large quantities of wine grapes. Its ripe, citrus-scented Riesling is particularly respected and is produced in varying sweetness levels, mostly trocken but right up to luscious trockenbeerenauslese (see German Wine Label Information). The highly respected Knipser and Philipp Kuhn wineries are the key wine producers here.
Located right at the northern end of Pfalz, the village is a full 35 miles (55km) north of Schweigen and just a few miles south-west of the city of Worms, which marks the start of the Pfalz's northern neighbor Rheinhessen.
Unlike most of Pfalz's top-end wine villages (notably Forst and Deidesheim), Laumersheim is known for more than just its Riesling; other varieties of note here include Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Rather appropriately, the village's Kirschgarten ('cherry orchard') site produces Pinot Noir of particular interest, characterized by its aroma of sweetly spiced cherries.
The Kirschgarten vineyard, which lies immediately to the west of Laumersheim village, is named for the monastery cherry orchard that once grew here. The earliest written records of the site date back to 1654, and today it is classified as a Grosse Lage by the VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikats und Qualitatsweingüter – the Association of German Prädikats and Quality Wine Estates). Its west-facing slope is very gentle, but nonetheless provides shelter from westerly winds and angles the vines towards the morning sunshine. A particularly dry site, during summer Kirschgarten often goes for weeks without rain. This is compensated for by the site's soils (clay and loess over a limestone base rock), whose water-retention properties prevent excessive drought stress.
Immediately north of Kirschgarten is Mandelberg (the 'almond hill'), another site whose name hints at Pfalz's warm, dry climate and the crops that thrive here as a result. This site has been written about for centuries; it was documented as long ago as 1345. Due to the high limestone content in the soils here, the typical Mandelberger Riesling is particularly racy and tightly structured and requires several years to develop to its full aromatic and textural potential. The finest section of the Mandelberg, the Mandelberg Steinbuckel, produces Laumersheim's most sought-after and respected wines.
Less than a mile to the north-east of Laumersheim is Dirmstein, another wine village, whose Mandelpfad ('almond trail') and Steinbuckel vineyards produce Riesling in a very similar style to those from Laumersheim's top sites. Riesling is the principal variety used in Dirmstein's wines, but Dornfelder and Portugieser are also grown there. One prime, south-facing section of Mandelpfad known as Himmelsrech Mandelpfad is particularly valued. The site, which has been documented for more than 450 years (the earliest records date back to 1557), has predominantly limestone-based soils and produces a particularly clean, crisp style of Riesling.
