Holger Koch
Holger Koch
Holger Koch
Weingut Holger Koch wines may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with Holger and Gabrielle's work. Located in Southwest Germany, in the Tri-border region, with Alsace just 15km away, it reveals a complex typology that varies between gentle plateaus, steep slopes, and gentle terraces.
The system used by Holger Koch to classify vineyards and wines may seem complex, but it is quite simple mirroring and functioning like Burgundy.
The vineyards climb the hill, in the lowest and flatest region of the slope, where there is less wind, they make simpler, juicy and lush wines, called Kaiserstuhl. The higher we go on the slope, the poorer the soils are and of volcanic origin, increasing the altitude and exposure to the wind, resulting in wines of greater complexity.
Kaiserstuhl
Kaiserstuhl is the name given to “village” level wines. The elevation of the vineyards varies from 200 m to 560 m in altitude, which results in hot, sunny days and cold nights, resulting in grapes with vigor and freshness. A small percentage of the soils are of volcanic origin, with the vast majority of its slopes being made up of thin, decomposed and nutrient-poor soils called “Loess”.
In the 20th century, before the effects of global warming, there was difficulty in optimizing the maturation of “Burgunder”. The same is not true today, and it is probably the best time to drink Weingut Holger Koch wines. Their wines today are the Burgundies of yesteryear.
Holger and Gabrielle bring us an approach that combines rich, deep wines with a fine, vivacious freshness!
Herrenstück, Selection: One Star, Three Stars and Reserve
The terraces in Harrenstück are one level above the Kaiserstuhl. These terraces have variations in their soil type, the higher the elevation, the greater the concentration of volcanic soils. These variations of Terroir, from terrace to terrace, plot to plot, are what Holger Koch uses to make Selection, One star, Three Stars, and Reserve. The stars are the result of wines from plots considered the best vineyards on the hillside. The higher the vineyards are, the more complex they are, the poorer the soils, with a greater percentage of volcanic, and less clayey. The number of stars increases, varying between one and three.
The Reserves are a careful selection of the best grapes from each Herrenstück plot/terrace.