Paul Count von Schönborn
Schloss Schönborn
Weingut Graf Von Schönborn – Schloss Schönborn and Schloss Hallburg
Schloss Schönborn is one of the Rheingau’s oldest wineries. The roots of the Schönborn family can be traced back to the times of the crusades and their connection with viticulture back to 1349. The Schönborns are also thought to be among the first winemakers to sell their wines in glass bottles as indicated by historic invoices which document the purchase of hand blown bottles in 1750.
Schloss Schönborn was originally established by Phillip Erwein and his brother Archbishop Johann Phillip, once Chancellor of the Holy Roman Realm of the German nation. Today’s owner, Paul Count von Schönborn, a banker who completed study in the US, took charge in 1998.
Schloss Schönborn cultivates a total of 50 hectares of vineyard in the Rheingau area. The plantings are 91% Riesling, 6% Pinot Noir and 3% Pinot Blanc. The average yield of 50hl/ha is intentionally kept low. The results are wines with tremendous concentration of ripe peachy, honeyed flavours, with a hint of almost tropical mango fruit and fine maturing potential thanks to the firm structure of ripe fruit acidity.
Paul Count von Schönborn also owns a winery in the Franken wine growing region, Schloss Hallburg. The estate has 30 hectares of plantings and all of the wines are estate bottled. The wines from this area can be divided into three broad groups:
• those from the ‘House Vineyard’ in Hallburger Schlossberg, which favours late-ripening grape varieties (Riesling, Rieslaner, Silvaner and Pinot Noir),
• those from the slopes surrounding the estate south of the castle in Hallburg, which favours early ripening grape varieties (Müller Thurgau, Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Traminer)
• and finally those from the village of Gaibach, north of Hallburg, where Silvaner, Riesling and Bacchus are grown.
These three locations are close in proximity but distinctive in terms of terroir and the wines they yield. These vineyard sites are the source of Schloss Hallburg’s 100% single varietal wines from single sites.
Schloss Schönborn and Hallburg wines are available in the UK from Corney & Barrow.
For more information please visit their website www.schoenborn.de.
