Saint Laurent
An almost disappeared red wine variety that convinces as a rarity and specialty with a strong aroma.
Cultivation
The early budding of St. Laurent vines poses a risk of exposure to May frosts. Early budding results in early maturity. Calcareous or even deep soils are very suitable for the St. Laurent vine. The winemaker avoids cool sites for Saint Laurent, as these can keep the acidity level of the wines very high. If the vines are planted widely and positioned relatively airy on the wire frame in summer, early bunch rot is prevented. This gives the winemaker the opportunity in the fall to reduce the acidity levels a little more by harvesting later. The yield of this vine is in the medium range, from 70 to 80 hl per ha.
Place value
The nationwide acreage of St. Laurent in 2021 was 588 ha. Of these, 254 ha* (1%) were planted in Rheinhessen. In Harxheim, St. Laurent was not statistically detectable until 2011. Since then, about 1.3 ha* (1.7%) have been planted with St. Laurent vines.
History
Saint Laurent is a red wine variety from the Burgundy family. It gives winemakers the opportunity to produce wines with a very strong aroma. To date, the origin of the vine is not clear. Alsace or another French wine-growing region could be considered as an area of origin. On the other hand, there is clear evidence of the preservation and further spread of the vine in Germany in the 19th century by the vine refiner Carl Bronner. The Saint Laurent was first mentioned in documents in 1860 in Austria. This vine was almost extinct since the 1950s. It is thanks to a coincidence that the last existing vine was not hacked out in the 1960s. Thanks to the efforts of a winegrower from the Palatinate, Saint Laurent was preserved in Germany. Since conservation breeding requires several years, it took until the 1970s before enough planting material was available again. In all likelihood, the name of Saint Laurent comes from Saint Laurent, which is why the name Saint Laurent is also pronounced German. One can also find the German name St. Laurent for the vine.
Vinification
Late harvested musts with good acidity and extract values have the potential to produce fruity and powerful red wines. The color of red wines is deep red. Saint Laurents are also partly aged in barrique barrels. In the fruity wines can be found aromas of elderberries, black currants, wild cherries and also hints of dark chocolate.
Pleasure
Since St. Laurent usually produces very powerful red wines, they go well with rich dishes or even game. They are also an ideal companion to mature cheeses.
Status 06.02.2023 Saint Laurent German Wine Institute 2023 https://www.deutscheweine.de/wissen/rebsorten/rote-rebsorten/saint-laurent/
St. Laurent red grape varieties Rheinhessen 2023 https://www.rheinhessen.de/st-laurent
St. Laurent Wikipedia 2023 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Laurent
Chamber of Agriculture Rhineland-Palatinate, EU vineyard register, status 2022
