Helmut Dolde - 'Neuffener' - Riesling - Württemberg, DE - 2020

Helmut’s magic touch extends to Riesling, which he harnesses here in its most lush and saline form. The freshness of marne blanche marries with the body and minerality of brown marl to create a wine that screams for marine life. A supremely food friendly wine that is begging for—if not a plateau de fruits de mer—at the very least, an oyster.

Vintage: 2020
Grapes: Riesling
Style: White Wine
ABV: 12%
Region: Swabia
Sub-Region or Appellation: Württemberg
Viticulture: Uncertified by any authority, Helmut Dolde is guided by his dedication to caring for the wild, alpine terroir he wants to preserve for future generations. Helmut eschews the organic movement—because it allows the use of copper sulfates—and focuses instead on leaving the soil in a better condition than he found it. A former scientist, he’s constantly experimenting with synthetics that do less harm and are more biodegradable than treatments allowed under certain organic certifications.
Age of Vines: 15 years old
Soils: Calcareous marl with pebbles of limestone and clay (known in Burgundy as marne blanche) formed by corals and marine life that thrived in the sea toward the end of the Jurassic period.
Elevation: 700 feet
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Fermented in stainless steel (90%) and used barrels (10%)
Aging: Aged 6 months on lees in steel tanks
Fining or Filtering: None
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In the shadow of a fairytale castle, at elevations up to 1,000 meters above sea level, Helmut and Hedwig Dolde grow Silvaner, Pinots (Noir and Blanc), Riesling and Weißburgunder with integrity and care, channeling some of the most exciting terroirs we have seen for years: Weiße Jura (aka marne blanche) and some small plots of volcanic soils in and around the villages of Linsenhofen and Neuffen (that takes its name from the imposing castle that dominates the area), and Braune Jura soils on the promising and yet depressingly underutilized slopes around nearby Metzingen.

They also make the famed Da steppt der Bär Pet’Nat, a set of insane ciders (apple and black pear), and the purest wild fruit distillates we have ever experienced (Helmut’s uncle is a dab hand with a still) — all from a domaine little larger than your average postage stamp.

The region may be known locally of the Swabian Jura, but tasting in the Dolde cellar puts us more in mind of the Sound of Music. These delicious drinks epitomize what “mountain wines” mean for us. Pure as a stream in a high meadow, they invigorate, refresh, and keep us coming back for more.
HELMUT DOLDE

Country: Germany

Region: Swabia

Sub-region or Appellation: Württemberg

Winemakers: Helmut Dolde, Hedwig Dolde

Viticulture: Uncertified by any authority, Helmut Dolde is guided by his dedication to caring for the wild, alpine terroir he wants to preserve for future generations. Helmut eschews the organic movement—because it allows the use of copper sulfates—and focuses instead on leaving the soil in a better condition than he found it. A former scientist, he’s constantly experimenting with synthetics that do less harm and are more biodegradable than treatments allowed under certain organic certifications.

Terroir: Mainly Jurassic (white and brown marl over sand and limestone) plus a small amount of volcanic soils

Size: < 2 ha

Website: doldewein.de
Instagram: @doldewein