Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Baden: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

The Vinum Weinguide Germany 2023 was released a few weeks ago, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1 000 wine producers and reviewing more than 10 700 wines on 1118 pages.

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) were awarded to 18 estates. In addition, there are 31 estates with 4.5 stars, and 66 estates with 4 stars.

See here: Germany's 18 Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Stars) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2023

This posting is the second in a series of postings that provide more details on individual wine regions. 

Ahr: The Top Producers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Baden: The Top Producers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

In Baden, 

there is 1 producer with 5 stars, there are 3 producers with 4.5 stars and 7 producers with 4 stars.

Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and I have visited 8 of the 11 producers over the past years during a Germany wine tour by ombiasy WineTours, which is owned and run by Annette Schiller and based in Washington DC, USA.

Most recently, in 2022, we visited Weingut Dr. Heger and Weingut Bercher on the Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours. 

Baden

London Wine Competition

The historic region of Baden in southwestern Germany is the third-largest wine region in the country. It is also the longest wine region in Germany, stretching nearly 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the north of the country all the way to Lake Constance in the south. The Baden wine region is known particularly for its Pinot (including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc) wines. Wines from Baden are known to be full-bodied and higher in alcohol content than wines from other regions in Germany. 

Unlike other German wine regions, Riesling accounts for only a relatively small share (7.3%) of all wine production. Pinot Noir is the most popular (36.8%), followed by Pinot Gris (10.5%) and Pinot Blanc (7.3%). Baden is also almost the only German wine region where Gutedel (Chasselas) wines are produced, accounting for 97% of the nation’s total production. Overall, wine production is split nearly evenly between red (44%) and white (56%) wines. 

Geographically, Baden is located across the Rhine river from the French region of Alsace. Due to a climatic effect is known as the “Rhine rift,” Baden is actually one of Germany’s warmest locations, which is why warm weather grape varietals do better here than elsewhere in the country. The Baden wine region is protected, to a large degree, by the Black Forest and Vosges mountains on one side and the Rhine on the other. 

The best-known wine area of Baden is Kaiserstuhl, which has terraced vineyards and hills of volcanic origin, creating a very unique terroir. While Baden is part of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, for purposes of German wine classification, Baden and Württemberg are separate wine regions.

Visiting Baden`s Top Producers 

Berhard Huber/ 5 Stars

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Dr. Heger/ 4.5 Stars





Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting in the Courtyard with Joachim Heger and Winemaker Markus Mleinek at Weingut Dr. Heger (VDP) in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours
 

Pictures: Tasting and Weingut Dr. Heger and Christian Schiller and Joachim Heger. See: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Dr. Heger in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) 

Martin Wassmer/ 4.5 Stars

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Pinot Noir Star Producer Weingut Martin Waßmer in Bad Krozingen, Markgräfler Land, Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Bercher/ 4 Stars



Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Martin Bercher at Weingut Bercher (VDP) in Burkheim, Kaiserstuhl, Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours Today we explored 
 
Johner/ 4 Stars
 
Picture: Weingut Karl-Heinz Johner in Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Karl-Heinz and Patrick Johner – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Franz Keller/ 4 Stars

Pictures: With Friedrich and Fritz sen. Keller, Weingut Franz Keller. See: Weingut Franz Keller in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Fritz Keller – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Fritz Keller at Weingut Franz Keller, October 2019

Salwey/ 4 Stars

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Salwey in Oberrotweil, Kaiserstuhl, Baden, with Benno Salwey – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
 
Ziereisen/ 4 Stars

Pictures: Massive Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen, with Hanspeter and Edeltraud Ziereisen. See: 2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

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The stop at Domaine Chaume-Arnaud with Owner/ Winemaker Valérie Chaume-Arnaud in Vinsobres was our first event in the Southern Rhône. It was a tasting only.


Domaine Chaume-Arnaud

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud is owned and run by Valérie and Philippe Chaume-Arnaud, a young and vibrant couple. Philippe looks after the vines while Valérie works the cellar. This is a traditional mixed farming estate. Olive trees, cereals, and tomatoes keep the vines company. 

Until 1956 there were more olive trees in the communes of Vinsobres and St-Maurice than vines until one night in February when a terrible frost killed all olive trees and the focus shifted to the vines. 

At Domaine Chaume-Arnaud farming was always done in harmony with nature, a herd of sheep was always in sight since they were an important component of the holistic management of fields, groves, and vineyards. Since 2003 the estate is farmed according to biodynamic principles. Since 2009 all products have been AB (Agriculture Biologique) and Demeter certified. I quote the Chaume-Arnaud family: ”Over the years, we have noticed that not only are our soils more lively, but our vines are more vigorous, and our wines have evolved towards a more harmonious balance”. 

Today they have 85 acres of vineyards situated in and around Vinsobres – which is one of the nine “Cru” of the Southern Rhône - and St-Maurice on a magnificent terroir of calcareous and stony soil with southern exposure facing Mont Ventoux. Yields are kept low, and harvesting is done solely by hand. Most of the vines are around 30 years old, some going up to 65 years for the Vinsobres cuvée. The red wines are made from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre for the AOP; Caladoc, Syrah, merlot for the IGP. The whites are madse from Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier for the AOPs, and Chenin, Chasselas, and Vermentino for the IGP.








Olives


The Wines 

Vinsobres
2016: 60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault

Vinsobres La Cadène
2014: Equal shares of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre. 

Cotes du Rhone Village Saint Maurice
2015: 80% Grenache, 20% Carignan.

Cotes du Rhone Petit Coquet
2017: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault.

Cotes du Rhone
2016 :Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault.

Cotes du Rhone Blanc La Cadène
2016: Marsanne, Viognier.

IGP Marselan
2016: 100% Marselan.

IGP Pontias
Syrah, Merlot, Marselan






Bye-bye

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