Weingut Jean Stodden in the Ahr and Fürst in Franken are spätburgunder superstars. Both family estates have access to some of the most sought-after vineyard sites in their region and manage to produce premium quality wine vintage after vintage, with their own style coming through in the glass.
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The 2024s are full of wild red-berry perfume and fine tannin structure. There is a restrained concentration coming through in the wines and plenty of graphite and tension. Both growers see the wines as displaying characteristics attributed to more classic vintages: precision rather than power, and with finesse and ageing potential. I loved their mineral edge and fine structure. Overall, the Fürst wines are more ethereal and perfumed in style, whereas the Stodden wines have density and structure and both are worthy of cellaring for many years to truly appreciate their innate quality.
2024 proved an incredibly challenging vintage for most German winemakers with late spring frosts severely reducing yields. Whilst Franken and the Ahr were impacted, yields were low, but quality was high. Alexander Stodden describes the vintage as ‘demanding yet ultimately rewarding.’ It's a vintage where being present in the vineyard was essential, along with rigorous selection. Moderate summer temperatures without any heatwaves enabled the grapes to ripen slowly and produce grapes with an aromatic intensity and good acidity.
Spätburgunder sales are on the rise in the UK, thanks in no small part to these two estates. Still relatively affordable, for any pinot noir and German wine lover, they are well worth exploring.
