A selection of Fürst reviews from Jancis Robinson, James Suckling, Yves Beck - Deutschland Wein Tour, Meiningers Sommelier, Weinwisser and Preisträger Feinschmecker Wine Awards 2025
Preisträger Feinschmecker Wine Awards 2025
Winemaker of the Year
Paul Fürst, based in Bürgstadt, Franconia, achieved his breakthrough in the late 1980s with Burgundy wines that rivaled France’s top wines in terms of elegance. His son, Sebastian, is masterfully leading the winery into the future – meticulously crafted, obsessed with quality, and committed to ecologically sound winemaking. Clearly Burgundian in orientation, but with his own unique signature. Most recently, the outstanding Grosses Gewächs Hundsrück 2022 impressed the gourmet jury. The Rieslings are also impressive – juicy and minerally. Hymns of praise are due, at every price point.
Jancis Robinson
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2024 – 18.5+/20
Elegant intensity of apricot, green peaches and pineapple, and tender green herbs with cedar accents. A high-toned lift of rosemary and wild mint. The bone-dry palate is a linear seduction of structure, spice and stone, with delicate, fine-boned phenolics and racy acidity. Truly stunning in the way it turns sour freshness into salty, mouth-watering appeal. Making a vintage of lemons into the finest of lemonade. Elegant and complex, a cool, lithe stunner that is both approachable and challenging – simultaneously centre stage and still very much waiting in the wings. – PS Drink: 2027 - 2040
Rudolf Fürst Klingenberger Schlossberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2023 – 18+/20
75% whole cluster. A wine of striking completeness, like the singular and self-contained universe of a cassis berry. It is supple and self-sufficient, a creamy approachability and a cool snap of red fruit rather than sharp tang. An elegant tension runs through its lithe frame, with notes of wild strawberry and herbal spice. Grace infused with pure Pinot perfume. – PS Drink: 2027 - 2037
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Hundsrück Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2023 – 18.5+/20
80% whole cluster. Fermented with 100% whole clusters, aged in barriques with around 60% new oak. A complex perfume – wet stone, black tea, mint and a savoury stem influence –opens into a quiet universe of damson plum and cassis. This is a wine of cool powerand spicy shadows, a galaxy of complex constellations waiting to be discovered. Thepurity and precision are framed by firm, elegant tannins. A brilliant future is evident,but for now, its story is one of immense, untouchable potential. – PS Drink: 2027 - 2037
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2023 – 17.5+/20
This doesn’t pour, it glides. A skater over ice, all lithe power and silent momentum.Aromas of blackberry and the balsamic lift of juniper and pine. The flavours are thedeep grooves sliced in its wake: wild strawberry, cassis, the salty tang of sea-spray.It’s silky concentration and cool herbal depth, contoured and impossibly long,finishing with the delicate scrape of chalky finesse. A wine of pure, pulsing motion. – PS Drink: 2026 - 2036
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2023 – 16.5+/20
AP number 18 25. Expensive! Lots of pleasure in its satiny texture but the fruit is slightly overwhelmedby the oak at the moment. – JR Drink: 2028 - 2040
James Suckling
The problem for German pinot producers was that because they always pick later than the warmer Burgundy, they got caught by some harvest rain. Botrytized grapes had to be excluded and clearly selective harvesting wasn’t always as radical as it needed to be. This means the 2023 German pinot noirs are more variable in quality than the 2023 reds in Burgundy or 2022 German pinots.
However, you wouldn’t think that if you tasted the 2023 pinots from the Furst winery in Franken. Five of the seven wines winemaker Sebastian Furst – the son of Germany’s pinot noir pioneer, Paul Furst – submitted were rated 95 points or higher, with two at the very pinnacle of the pinot vintage in Germany.
The Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Schlossberg GG 2023 stuns with its interplay of restrained richness, superfine tannins and incredible vitality, the finish giving a very exciting blast of black cherry and blood orange.
In contrast, the Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Hundsrück GG 2023 is dark, dense and compact with enormous earthy depth. The finish is very cool, powerful and tightly wound. While the Schlossberg GG is already extremely delicious, more patience is recommended here.
Sebastian Fürst has brought Burgundian experience and techniques to the Furst winery.
The twin pinot noir masterpieces of the 2023 vintage at Furst.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Hundsrück GG 2023 – 98 Points
Dark, dense and compact, this is a very serious pinot noir, although it remains medium-bodied with fantastic freshness. Concentrated fine tannins give this a very firm core, and it certainly needs some more time in the bottle to give its best. It already shows enormous earthy depth on the mid-palate and through the very cool, powerful but tightly wound finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Schlossberg GG 2023 – 98 Points
Fleshy, concentrated and silky, this beauty doesn’t want to let go. Medium- to full-bodied with incredible interplay of restrained richness, superfine tannins and incredible vibrancy. In the super-long finish there’s a blast of black cherry and blood orange fruit. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Centgrafenberg GG 2023 – 97 Points
This beautiful pinot noir is extraordinarily delicate on the medium-bodied palate. Then, when you think you have solved the mystery, this wine expands in the incredibly long, focused and refined finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
Fürst Frühburgunder Franken R 2023 – 96 Points
Sleek yet compact and structured, this extraordinary red from a variety that’s probably a mutation of pinot noir has terrific wet earth and dried cherry aromas. Extremely concentrated and no less cool. Extraordinary finish that’s savory, minerally and cool. Great aging potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Bürgstädter Berg EL 2023 – 95 Points
Cool and reserved but deep and highly structured, this is a very serious pinot noir that needs more time in the bottle to unfurl its flag, but has wonderful elegance and precision. Complex, wet earth character on the medium-bodied palate, the tannins building steadily in the very long and complete finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Klingenberger 2023 – 95 Points
This dazzling village wine leaps out of the glass with sour cherry, wild red berry, wet earth and smoky aromas. Very fine tannins and an extraordinarily silky texture on the fleshy yet graceful, medium-bodied palate. Glides off into the distance. Drink or hold.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Grossheubacher 2023 – 94 Points
Anyone who loves Volnay will surely enjoy this beautifully balanced wine. The wide aromatic spectrum of summer flowers, red berries and delicate spicy notes is hard to resist. Anything but dramatic on the medium-bodied palate, but the concentrated fine tannins and the wet earth complexity are stunning. Drink or hold.
Fürst Spätburgunder Franken Bürgstädter 2023 – 92 Points
With its generous red cherry, raspberry, flint and spice aromas, this is a complex wine for an entry-level pinot noir. Then cool and fresh, with a wealth of savory and wet forest floor character on the elegant, barely medium-bodied palate. Long, cool finish underlined by fine tannins. Drink or hold.
Fürst Chardonnay Franken R Trocken 2023 – 98 Points
Fürst Chardonnay Franken Bürgstadter Berg EL 2023 – 96 Points
Fürst Riesling Franken Centgrafenberg GG 2024 – 96 Points
Fürst Weissburgunder Franken R Trocken 2023 – 95 Points
Fürst Chardonnay Franken Astheimer Trocken 2023 – 94 Points
Fürst Riesling Franken Bürgstädter Berg EL 2024 – 94 Points
Deutschland Wein Tour 2025 - Yves Beck
Fürst Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 99-100 Points
Subtle smoky nuances evoke hints of bacon, drawing parallels to the terroir of Echezeaux! The bouquet also reveals a refreshing herbaceous note, followed by nuances of red berries. On the palate, the wine reveals itself as subtle and precise. It captivates with its details, its numerous characteristics, its subtle power, and its endless finish. A flavorful, structured wine. Drink: 2028 - 2048
Fürst Bürgstadter Hundsrück Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 98 Points
Subtle smoky nuances evoke hints of bacon, drawing parallels to the terroir of Echezeaux! The bouquet also reveals a refreshing herbaceous note, followed by nuances of red berries. On the palate, the wine reveals itself as subtle and precise. It captivates with its details, its numerous characteristics, its subtle power, and its endless finish. A flavorful, structured wine. Drink: 2028 - 2043
Fürst Klingenberger Schlossberg Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 97 Points
How much precision, detail, and diversity in this bouquet! The numerous aromas that reveal themselves are all characterized by finesse and subtlety, with spicy, fruity, and mineral nuances. The finesse and precision announced in the bouquet are not only picked up on the palate, but are also fully confirmed. The wine is characterized by a compact, lively, almost juicy tannin structure. This is harmoniously balanced by a noble astringency that forms the backbone, stretching the finish and ensuring freshness. A brilliant wine. Drink: 2028 - 2047
Meiningers Sommelier
Consistently at the top: Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Fürst in Franconia
Solo for Fürst
The character of the vintage is also evident in the wines of the top winemaker from Bürgstadt. The Hunsrück region, however, remains unaffected. With 96 points, it is, as always, a monument of the German Pinot Noir world. The Schlossberg vineyard loses a point (95 points) due to slightly less depth and compactness, while the Centgrafenberg even gains two points (95 points) because it is more finely structured than last year.
The Top 5 Spätburgunder GG 2023
Fürst Bürgstadter Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 96 Points
Fine smoky character, raspberry and black cherry, some dark chocolate, incense and sage; deep and calm on the palate, slightly clayey, pleasantly fine-rough texture, cherry pit, subtle length
More world-class Pinot Noirs
Fürst Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 95 Points
Fürst Schlossberg Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 95 Points
WEINWISSER
The Top 10 Spätburgunder
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 19/20
Highly complex yet transparent and unobtrusive on the nose, it displays notes of sweet cherries, wild strawberries, and red apple, complemented by multifaceted floral hints and an extremely subtle smoky touch. On the palate, the wine is like a silk scarf, an ethereal delicacy, utterly weightless yet so present, with a perfectly balanced and interwoven structure. A masterpiece of winemaking, delicious freshness in its exquisitely fruity finish – pure delicacy! – Frank Kämmer MS. Drink: 2026 - 2038
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadt Hundsrück Spätburgunder GG 2023 – 18.5/20
A still-restrained depth with noble sloe fruit and a characteristically vegetal touch on the nose; beautiful fruitiness, supported by an upright, wonderfully integrated structure. A dark, floral note enriches the aroma on the palate; the wine possesses great potential for further refinement. – Frank Kämmer MS. Drink: 2026 - 2037
Riesling & Silvaner GG Franken
Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Riesling GG 2023 – 19+/20
Very youthful fruit. Enormously gripping on the palate, firm, powerful, still slightly rough, just showing a hint of something. A touch of CO2, then becomes increasingly precise, lingering very long and harmonious, a great success. – Wolfgang Faßbender. Drink: 2028 - 2038