Vorderer Winklerberg Pinot Noir Grosses Gewächs - Dr Heger Winery - 2021

75 cl

Robert Parker: 94 points

Alcohol content: 13.5% vol.

Grape varieties: Pinot Noir (Pinot Noir)

Vinification:

Matured for 15 months in used barriques.

Tasting note:

The Ihringen Vorderer Winklerberg Spätburguder GG 2020 is profound, pure, refined and fresh, but also intense on the nose with aromas of ripe cherries. On the palate, it is silky, refined and fresh, a refined, elegant, intense and juicy Pinot from weathered volcanic rock. It is a dense, savoury and finely tannic Pinot with ripe, intense and very charming fruit and a long, intense and aromatic finish. 13.5% vol. Alcohol.

Dr Heger Winery:

The winery is based in Ihringen, a municipality in the Kaiserstuhl region of southern Baden (Baden, Germany). The region is known as one of the warmest and sunniest parts of Germany, characterised by an almost Mediterranean microclimate. The business was founded in 1935 by Dr Max Heger, a country doctor from Ihringen.

Location & Terroir

The vineyard cultivates around 28 hectares of vineyards on spectacular, extremely steep slopes:

Ihringer Winklerberg: One of Germany’s most famous premier vineyards. It is extremely steep and characterised by dark Volcanic weathered soil characterised. The stone stores heat during the day and releases it at night, which ensures excellent ripening.

Achkarrener Schlossberg: Another one from the VDP-classified Grand Cru with steep terraces and a similar volcanic character, which lends the wines a distinctive smokiness.

Eckartsberg, Breisach: Another outstanding ‘Erste Lage’ from this winery.

Operations Management

The winery is a family-run business in third and fourth generations as follows:

Joachim Heger (owner, oenologist) and his wife Silvia have been running the estate since 1992. Joachim was also the long-standing chairman of the VDP Baden until 2025.

The Daughters Rebecca (winegrower / cellar master) and Katharina Heger (Marketing & Sales) are firmly integrated into the business and are gradually ushering in a generational change.

The senior management team is complemented by a well-coordinated team working in the cellar and on site.

Style & Characteristics

Dr Heger’s wines reflect the extreme terroir and break with the cliché of „broad, heavy“ Baden wines:

Finesse rather than brute force: Despite the intense heat in the Kaiserstuhl region, the wines have a brilliant freshness, a lively acidity and immense elegance.

Delicate minerality: The volcanic soil gives the plants (particularly the Grand Crus) a salty, smoky and finely textured minerality.

Focus on grape varieties: The leading roles are played by Pinot Noir (Pinot Noir) and Pinot Gris, followed by Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Silvaner. The red wines often display a deep, complex tannin structure with excellent use of barrique, whilst the top-quality white wines have excellent ageing potential.