Baden and Spätburgunder: A Passionate Connection.
Upon invitation, we recently traveled through Baden, Germany, for three days from South to North. In our previous article, we provided an overview of the region and highlighted the critical moments of the press trip. (If you haven’t read it, we highly recommend you check it out here.) In this article we will talk about one of the big bets of Baden, a variety that allows them to produce great wines: Spätburgunder.
Baden, where Spätburgunder feels at home
During our visit, we learned from several producers that Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is a highly sensitive grape variety, exhibiting significant differences in its characteristics based on soil and terroir.
According to the Oxford Companion to Wine by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson (hereafter Oxford-Companion), “The Burgundians themselves refute the allegation that they produce Pinot Noir; they merely use Pinot Noir as the vehicle for communicating local geography, the characteristics of the individual site, and the terroir on which it is planted.”
This idea makes Baden particularly fascinating, as it is a highly diverse region with varying terroirs across its extensive landscape. In this article, we dive into Baden’s most important grape variety, Spätburgunder, which accounted for 32.8% of the region’s production in 2022. Join us as we explore insights from the producers we met in Baden.
What makes Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) so special?
Pinot Noir demands much from both grape growing and winemaking. According to the Oxford-Companion, “this early-ripening variety is susceptible to spring frost and coulure, and thin-skinned grapes are prone to disease, both reducing their yield.” To mitigate these risks, vineyards must be carefully selected for exposure, orientation, and soil type (for example, damp, cool soils on low-lying land are best avoided). Additionally, “Pinot Noir is much more difficult to vinify than other varieties such as Chardonnay, requiring constant monitoring and fine-tuning of techniques according to the demands of each particular vintage.” Despite these challenges, the beauty of Pinot Noir, the result of this hard work, is celebrated and cherished by wine lovers worldwide.
Exploring Spätburgunder in Baden
Let’s delve into the unique terroirs in some vineyards with a high reputation and the meticulous craftsmanship of their producers. Below you will find an overview map of Baden, with the three sub-regions (Kaiserstuhl, Breisgau and Kraichgau) we visited and will discuss in this article.
Kaiserstuhl District
The Kaiserstuhl, often called Baden’s sun terrace, enjoys warm winds from the Burgundian Gate (Belfort Gap) between the Vosges and Jura mountains, making it the warmest area in Baden. Its unique volcanic soil further sets this sub-region apart. These conditions typically produce wines with full-bodied profiles, relatively high alcohol content, and complex flavors of smoky, ripe fruit.
In the Kaiserstuhl district, Dr. Heger, established in 1935, acquired notable vineyards over time, including the exceptional Achkarren Schlossberg and Ihringen Winklerberg. Today, Joachim Heger, who has also served as chairman of the Baden regional association within the Association of German Prädikat Wineries (VDP), runs the winery along with his daughters.
The Ihringen Winklerberg Wanne “Häusleboden” is Dr. Heger’s signature vineyard, nestled in the sun-drenched Kaiserstuhl region. Classified as VDP.Grosse Lage, it features a light loess soil layer over weathered volcanic subsoil with calcareous rock. Its vines are selected from the iconic ‘Clos de Vougeot’, through massal selection by Wolfgang Heger—the father of Joachim Heger—and are nearly 60 years old, naturally producing low yields.
Dr. Heger honors this exceptional terroir and soil through eco-friendly practices. This commitment involves abstaining from agrochemicals and employing horses to prevent soil compaction and foster the natural ecosystem, thereby revealing the terroir’s potential.
Rebecca Heger, who joined in 2019 and assumed winemaking control in 2020, has updated a bit about the winemaking options, highlighting a purer, leaner, and more precise expression. She has opted for extended cold maceration, a touch of whole bunch fermentation for freshness, minimal oak influence, and avoiding filtration whenever feasible; the philosophy is seamless to express the terroir precisely.
Through the 2018, 2019, and 2020 tasting, we recognized the defining characteristic of this terroir. Its intensity and smoky minerality are always there, yet each vintage and winemaking decision accents its style. For instance, 2018 was notably warm and dry, prompting an exceptionally early harvest that began on August 10th, whereas 2020 stood out as an excellent year.
Ihringen Winklerberg Wanne ‘Häusleboden’ GG 2020 | Dr. Heger
The 2020 vintage reveals a deep and complex nose with impressive intensity, featuring dark cherry, violet, rose, smoky minerality notes, and subtle spiciness accentuating the purity of the fruits. The seamless mouthfeel, vibrant structure, and persistent finish are outstanding.
We reward this wine with a 96-point DWA score.
Breisgau District
Along the Rhine Plain and Kaiserstuhl, Breisgau stretches from the town of Lehen in the north to Freiburg in the south. Loess is the predominant soil type, but the area’s diverse mountain ranges create a varied viticultural identity with different soil types.
Fritz Waßmer produces renowned Burgundian-style Spätburgunder wines in this region. Before releasing his first vintage in 1999, Fritz Waßmer traveled extensively to learn the intricacies of winemaking, ultimately focusing on Burgundy. His interest was sparked by an extraordinary experience working on the sorting line at one of the world’s most prestigious wineries, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), followed by multiple visits to Burgundy. This exposure shaped his winemaking philosophy and techniques, including the use of French clones and higher-density planting. A critical lesson he learned at DRC is the paramount importance of grape health.
His meticulous approach to sorting grapes involves multiple stages: hand-picking, sorting on a table, using optical sorting technology after destemming, and a final check by human eyes again. Their winemaking aims to showcase each terroir and variety, and the contrasts attract us even when the wines are youthful.
Kenzingen Roter Berg 2019 | Fritz Waßmer
The Roter Berg in Kenzingen is distinguished by its red, iron-rich soil, with shell limestone and red lime sandstone underpinned by lime marl with a high clay content. “Iron-rich soils make wine more expressive,” explained Armin Ritter, the winemaker and son-in-law of Fritz Waßmer.
Dark ruby in color, exhibiting an incredible intensity of fruit and floral notes, dominated by pristine black cherry, ripe strawberry, violet, and rose petals, with a hint of oak influence with subtle cocoa and clove notes. The palate is rich and opulent yet structured by vibrant acidity and velvety, ripe fruit tannins. The smooth texture, with salty minerality underneath, showcases its elegance and finesse in the richness.
We reward this wine with a 95-point DWA score.
Herbolzheim Kaiserberg 2019 | Fritz Waßmer
This vineyard is distinguished by its humus-rich loess clay and yellow marl, underpinned by light slate and granite. The steep rock faces absorb the sun’s warmth and gradually release it to the vines, promoting extra ripeness. Meanwhile, constant winds through the Rhine plain maintain freshness.
Bright ruby in color, showcasing a layered character of raspberry and wild strawberry, fresh herbs, white pepper, tea leaf, earth, underbrush, and hints of leather on the nose. The palate is ethereal, without heaviness, yet surprisingly complex and deep. Mouthwatering acidity and refined tannins are juicy and rounded, creating a very smooth texture. The persistent finishes with salty minerality and umami.
We reward this wine with a 96-point DWA score.
Kraichgau District
The northern part of Baden, Kraichgau, isn’t the coolest area. Vineyards are tucked away in several small villages throughout the region, creating complex microclimates due to their varied orientations, exposures, and soil compositions.
Heitlinger and Burg Ravensburg have consistently acquired forgotten optimal lands and replanted them with the most suitable variety for each vineyard. These wineries adhere to the philosophy of “one vineyard, one variety,” and all single vineyards are VDP. Grosse Lage with a couple of exceptions to best express each terroir.
They have dedicatedly tried to revive the lands with biodynamic viticulture (among the largest organic and biodynamic-certified wine estates in Germany) to regain the natural ecosystem’s self-sufficiency. “One of the changes to be observed after switching to biodynamic practices was the improved phenolic ripeness of the vines, allowing for earlier picking of grapes with optimal ripeness while lower alcohol,” noted winemaker Claus Burmeister.
Wormsberg in Tiefenbach by Heitlinger is located on a steep slope with red marl and limestone soils. The vines here were selected from Burgundy through massal selection. The cool limestone retains moisture and helps maintain low soil temperatures and cover crops, reducing them from 40 to 25 degrees Celsius. These factors contribute to the wine’s elegance without over-ripeness. “There is still more to be done to adapt to global warming,” noted Claus.
Through a vertical tasting of the 2016 and 2017 vintages, we recognized the elegance of Burgundian-style Pinot Noir, which is caused not by the clone but by its unique terroir and meticulous care in expressing its potential.
Tiefenbach Wormsberg Pinot Noir GG 2017 | Heitlinger
Restrained yet defined red berry, wild berry, rose petal, and a metallic mineral tone like iron on the nose. Juicy and dense on the palate with a layer of suppleness, structured by very fine tannins and lively acidity. Hermoneous elegant flow and a persistent long finish with a subtle spiciness in the aftertaste.
We reward this wine with a 94-point DWA score.
Exploring Baden’s Terroirs Through the Allure of Pinot Noir
We observed some wineries drawing inspiration from Burgundy by adopting Burgundian strategies, including massal selection and specific viticultural and vinification techniques. However, their aim is not to imitate but to express the unique terroir of each region. The distinctiveness of Pinot Noir captures the essence of these terroirs, making it compelling. Their dedication to showcasing each terroir’s potential suggests continued evolution. Pinot Noir’s allure is undeniable for wine connoisseurs. We encourage our readers to explore Baden’s diverse terroirs through Pinot Noir.
This article was written by our own Kazumi Uejo. We sincerely thank the VDP die prädikatsweingüter , Timo Renner (VDP.Baden) for their invaluable contributions, meticulous arrangements, and all the wineries for their warm welcome and hospitality.
