Neverland Vineyards, A Fairy Tale Come True

Neverland Vineyards, A Fairy Tale Come True.

Sitting upon a soil high in limestone concentration in the region of Rheinhessen, Neverland Vineyards was erected in 2013 by brothers Sebastian and Marcel Class; an homage to their childhood hero: the elusive Peter Pan. Sebastian and Marcel combine century old winemaking experience – as they are the 11th generation of viticulturists in their family – with a large dose of holistic, contemporary approaches. Neverland Vineyards is certified organic and applies biodynamic principles, as they prefer working with, rather than against nature. Minimal intervention can be found in both the vineyards and the cellar: grapes are manually harvested, all wines ferment spontaneously naturally, which results – in spirit of Pan – in playful and unorthodox wines that left us hooked. 

We met Neverland Vineyards in their hometown of Vendersheim on a cold, foggy morning. Sebastian opened his doors to us and showed us around the large tasting room and told us the story of Neverland Vineyards. 

Reinventing Tradition

Sebastian and Marcel Class both grew up in Vendersheim, on what were then their parents’ vineyards. Initially, Sebastian set out to study Economics and Law in Hessen as he wanted to step out of his comfort zone in the family business, whilst Marcel took three years to do apprenticeships at local wineries and remained in Vendersheim. After finishing his studies, Marcel joined his father in the vineyards and cellar and upon the return of Sebastian, father Karl Uwe Class passed on the baton and the brothers decided to start a new venture. Sebastian finished his practical apprenticeship to become an actual winegrower and so the book of Neverland opened to the first page of its story. 

Rethinking the Vineyards

We moved outside to see the vineyards together. We could not help but notice a neighbor on a lawn mower cutting all the grass in between his rows. An act that seemed peculiar to us all, for the cover crops would not form a lot of competition for the vines at this stage in the year. We crossed the road and jumped the ditch, straight into the vineyard – one still filled with cover crops in between the rows. 

At Neverland Vineyards, Marcel is in charge of the vineyards, whilst Sebastian takes on the operational and financial side of the business. Both brothers look after the cellar, where Marcel does most of the stainless steel and base wines and Sebastian takes on the cuvee creation and barrel aging. Both are supported by their partners, respectively Julia Class and Rossella Frigerio. Julia manages their hotel (Hofgut Donnersberg), whilst Rossella handles the marketing side of the business, alongside sales. 

Currently, Neverland Vineyards cultivate 25 hectares in the area of Vendersheim and Wolfsheim, situated on what the shore of the Rhine River was 50.000 years ago. The Rhine left Vendersheim with a soil rich in limestone deposits and marl. The limestone rich soils drove the Class family to opt for rootstocks tolerant of lime; most of their rootstocks are SO4, but trials are performed with both Binova and Fercal. Both are lime tolerant and slightly more vigorous than SO4. Fercal is also more drought tolerant and can work well with waterlogging during spring times, which might prove essential in the near future, as climate chaos unfolds before our very eyes. 

Speaking of which, climate chaos is something the Class brothers are well equipped for, pertaining to their viticultural practices. One of the most popular themes in the vineyards nowadays is cover crop, which Sebastian and Marcel do not shy away from. They use a combination of rapeseed, mustard and oil radish, all very efficient at aerating the soil by breaking it up. This also allows for the biodiversity to flourish as the soils have more space for microorganisms to do their precious work in the subsoil. 

Letting Nature Lead the Way

Moving away from the wet, foggy vineyards on the frontside of the estate, we took the stairs down to the beautiful yard with a gazebo overlooking the vineyards, where couples can tie the knot together. No, really – Neverland Vineyards host weddings as well. Those in search of great wines at their wedding venue might be in luck. Sebastian took us to the cellar and sat us down in a spherical room, on an elevated platform surrounded by barrels, where he talked us through the harvest and cellar methods. 

At Neverland Vineyards yields during harvest amount to approximately 6 tons per hectare, fully depending on the age of the vine and the site the grapes are picked from. For every cuvée yields are considered carefully with regard to balance and intensity in the final blend. All grapes are picked at optimal ripeness and health. 

After the backbreaking manual harvest of 25 hectares, the work continues in the cellar. All the juice ferments spontaneously and the wines have to find their own way to the promised Neverland. Our friends at Neverland Vineyards describe it as discovering the harmonious representation on the palate of vintage, people and place. 

Post fermentation the wines are transferred to oak. The majority of the barrels are barriques, but Neverland Vineyards have larger sizes as well, including 300L and 500L. French and American oak are both used, besides oak from the homeland, specifically from the Pfalz. Every vintage, only 1.000 bottles approximately are released for every cuvée. 

Tasting Neverland Vineyards

Earlier we tasted a selection of the Neverland wines, below our findings and ratings for some of the highlights.

Unartig 2020 | Chardonnay, Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder, Traminer, Bacchus, Silvaner

Fermented in three to nine weeks. Aged for at least two years in 225L barrels, of which a third was new oak. 

Medium gold, medium intensity on the nose. Bright, yet slightly oxidative, nutty notes accompanied by ripe apricot, yellow apple, pineapple, honey, grapefruit and peach yoghurt. Refreshing, medium acidity with a slightly nutty aftertaste. Lots of concentration on the mid-palate with a hint of bruised apples. Great blend, made in collaboration with sommelier André Macionga (Tim Raue**). 

We reward this wine with a 91-point DWA score. 

Opus K 2021 | Chardonnay, Grauburgunder, Scheurebe

Fermented in three to nine weeks. Aged in 225L barrels of French and American oak.

Pale amber with golden hue, highly oxidative on the nose with aromas of dried peach, apricot, honey, lemon curd, ripe quince, butter and baking spices. The wood aging is more palpable on the palate, as cedar and nutmeg shine through. Classic chardonnay-esque earthiness adds to the oxidative style in which the wine is made. Highly interesting with a long finish and a fine balance. 

We reward this wine with a 91-point DWA score. 

Halo Ex Ante 2019 | Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Fermented in three to four weeks. Aged in 225L barrels of French and American oak.

Medium ruby color with a pronounced nose, which gives way to cassis, pencil shavings and green bell pepper initially, being followed up by ripe red cherries, raspberries, Blueberry yoghurt, forest floor and baking spice. On the palate, the wine is far more elegant than the nose would suggest, with silky tannins and medium (+) acidity to give the wine more flair. Confusingly complex and enigmatically eclectic; a wine to ponder upon in silence. 

We reward this wine with a 93-point DWA score.

Welcome to Neverland

Vendersheim holds a secret that is about to be outed to the world. Neverland Vineyards are run by (probably eternally) young people with a big heart for the world, the people and nature. People who like to challenge the establishment and the straight-forward thinking, disproving the rigidity with which people view the world as the truth. 

Those fortunate enough – ourselves now included – might find themselves woken up in the middle of the night to be guided to a mythical place. A place with great wines and even grander people. A place home to mischievous, yet genius characters that think of blending pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, and actually make it work. A place called Neverland Vineyards.

This article is written by our own Miquel Claase. We thank Neverland Vineyards for their time and hospitality. Neverland wines are imported and sold in The Netherlands through Pasteuning.