SB - 1e lage Winklerberg MIMUS - Spätburgunder (19)

Spätburgunder | 1e Lage Ihringer Winklerberg | vulkanisch | Franse Pinot klonen aangeplant begin jaren ’60-’90 | 75% ontsteelt en 25% whole bunch | 4 dagen koude inweking met de schillen | vergist in een eikenhouten foudre met een open top | rijping op barrique voor 12 maanden, 100% nieuw | donker rode kleur | intens rijp fruit | aards | wilde kruiden | toast | mokka | rijpe tannine | stevig

Heger

In een van de warmste wijngebieden van Duitsland ligt het wijngoed van Joachim Heger en zijn familie. De 28 hectare liggen voornamelijk op de Kaiserstuhl vulkaan, een bodem die miljoenen jaren oud is. Deze bestaan uit Basalt, Magnesium, Ijzer en veel kalksteen. De wijnen die gemaakt worden zijn indrukwekkend met een grote kelderpotentie. Markus, de wijnmaker van de familie is liefhebber van het Franse eikenhout Tarransaud. Dit resulteert dus ook in een ongekend groot arsenaal aan grand cru wijnen en echte bourgondische wijnen, die in de jonge jaren wat lucht nodig hebben, maar na twee/drie jaar fles rijping smaken de wijnen optimaal!

Review

The 2014 Ihringer Winklerberg Pinot Noir (Mimus) is ruby-colored and offers a clear, fresh and delicate, floral flavored bouquet; there are aromas of mocha, cherry, red berry and stones. Silky-textured, round, fresh and finesse-full on the palate, this is a dense, powerful and firmly structured, yet delicate and vivacious Pinot, It has fine, yet firm tannins and a beautiful acidity. I tasted it from a tank that was ready to be bottled in July/August. Stephan Reinhardt 89-90/100

Under the Weingut Dr. Heger brand, Joachim Heger cultivates 28 hectares of vines, mainly in the prestigious "VDP Grosse Lage" sites, Ihringen Winklerberg and the Achkarren Schlossberg, often small plots with just a few rows on the terraces. Under the name Weinhaus Heger, wines from the grapes of contracted grape growers are produced. Dr. Heger cultivates a wide range of grape varieties, but mainly Pinot Noir (30%), Pinot Gris (31%) and Pinot Blanc (18%), as well as Riesling, Chardonnay, Silvaner, Muscat, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet, Petit Verdot and Merlot. His Pinots, no matter which color, are among the finest in Baden, since they have improved a lot in the past couple of years. Since the grapes are picked much readier than in former times, the wines are not just fresh and well-focused, but also very elegant and finesse-full. Some of them are based on French clones, but Heger is proud of old vines Spätburgunder clones whose naturally reduced wines give depth and concentration, with complexity and power, in addition to finesse and freshness. All of the almost 30 wines I have tasted here in June were at least excellent. However, I want to underline the outstanding quality of the 2015 Winklerberg Chardonnay, which is marketed as "Erste Lage" (premier cru), but comes along with grand cru dimensions. Another stunning wine is the Syrah, of which I have tasted three vintages. It's an experiment, says Heger, and admits he doesn't yet know what to do with it and when to market it. He has never shown this wine to the press thus far, but it is certainly one of the finest Syrah in Germany (along with Knipser's and Ziereisen's Gstaad). The Pinot Noirs from 2013 and 2014 (of which I had barrel samples only) are of remarkable quality, too, especially the Häusleboden GG and the Schlossberg GG. In 2014, the harvest of Pinot Noir began on September 14 and was finished in between eight days. Häusleboden and Schlossberg are the warmest sites, so they were picked at the earliest, followed by Vorderer Berg, Mimus and Rappenecker.