My Trip to Germany redux: Pt XVIII- Baden with Joachim Heger (Dr. Heger)

It was very cool meeting Joachim Heger at the wonderful estate of Dr. Heger in the Baden region. The wines are very distinct across a range of varietals. Joachim does Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Silvaner and Riesling all with equal skill. The top wines here for me are Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris but the Rielings and Silvaners are not far behind. Joachim is a short and very jolly man always cracking jokes and it seems like always cracking corks as a tasting here is not a quick stop. This was a long but very fun experience and one of the highlights of the eastern jaunt of the trip. Marcus, his assistant at the estate, also deserves a mention as one of the most hospitable and nice people I met on the whole trip. I did not get many pictures of the vineyard as we went out there at night and the light just dipped really quick but I did get one great shot of the Ihringer Wilnkelberg. Very nicely terraced vineyard. Also got the best picture of any winemaker in the trip as the picture of Joachim really captures him pretty well.

2005 Silvaner Kabinett Trocken - Nice nose of mineral, peach along with a saline note. There is a wonderful purity to the dense palate. Definetly shimmers the whole way through. Excellent.

2005 Weissburgunder QBA - Nice crisp wine with clean fruit flavors. Juicy and ripe. Uncomplicated yet so precise.

2005 Weissburgunder Kabinett Trocken - Nose is layered with piquant lime and the palate is stuffed with clean stone fruits. Lovely.

2005 Grauerburgunder QBA - Very ripe with nice medium-bodied stone fruit flavors. Very crisp, almost austere, but ulitmately still balanced. Oyster wine . . . .

2005 Grauerburgunder Kabinett Trocken - Very crisp wine yet with still wonderful ripeness. Apricots, nectarine fruit along with mineral pit flavors. Fleshy yet stark at the same time. Could use a touch more body to be the complete package.


2005 Ihringer Winklerberg Weissburgunder Spatlese Trocken - Nose of wet earth and mineral, apricot and almost chiseled rock dust. Highy complex and aromatic nose that kept changing. Develops into an intoxicating perfume./potpourri thing. Palate is big. Very-full bodied for a white but with proper balancing acidity. Extremely ripe and very concentrated. Serious vin de garde Weissburgunder here. Lovely stuff.

2005 Weissburgunder Reserve - This was breathtaking wine. Ghe mid-palate was outrageous with tremendous depth. Wonderful texture and amazing concentration with exotic stone and citrus fruits and jaw-dropping purity and length. What a wine!

2005 Ihringer Winklerberg Grauerburgunder Spatlese Trocken - Absoulutely one of the most profound Pinot Grigios I have ever had. Not your average Italian plonk this is some serious, worldclass and very ageworthy stuff. I will be cellaring a couple bottles as I am dying to see where this wine goes. Intensely salty and mineral nose with the essence of stone fruits. So layered and complex. Nuanced beyond belief. Palate is explosive with wonderful clean and incredibly vivid minerality. Glides across your palate. Complex and incredibly refreshing at the same time. Intense wine. Meditation wine.

2005 Grauerburgunder Reserve - This was a stunning wine too albeit in a differnt style than the previous wine. Much riper but still with great acidity and balance. Lots of power and finesse here with a huge finish. Seems rounder but still has wonderful character. I prefer the Winkelberg for its weightlessness and slightly less richness. Both great wines.

2005 Ihringer Winklerberg Riesling Spatlese Trocken - This was showing a touch of reduction on the nose. It showed great complexity and ripeness on the palate with intense mineral notes. Solid but Ihringer Winkelberg seems to thrive with Weissburgunder and Grauerburgunder rather than dry Riesling. Although the sweet Rieslings tasted later were incredible.


2005 Riesling QBA - Lots of fruit delivered on a sleek frame. Showing loads of baby fat. Very easy to like.

2005 Spatburgunder QBA -Spicy plummy wine with great Pinot character. Pretty wine but nothing more. A quaffer.

2004 Mimus - This was just too oaky for me at this tasting. Wild label on this one too. Some sort of 15th century stained glass thing. Very bright colors. I did taste this recently after it had been open for 6 + hours and it was very nice. Rich and ripe with good purity. Solid Village level Burgundy quality.

2004 Spatburgunder - This was a very serious and wonderful wine. Loads of spice and exotic clove on the nose with a compelling inner mouth energy and perfume. An explosion of red fruits. This was very concentrated and one of the best German pinot's of the trip. Up there with Mayr-Nekel, Rudolf Furst and Becker.

2004 Chardonnay Spatlese Trocken - Just an oaky and weird wine. Some spice. Guess he has clients for it.


2005 Riesling Ihringer Winklerberg Spatlese - This came out of nowhere and blew me away. Very sweet and rich but with amazing purity and minerality. Deft balance. Long finish. Just stunning wine.

2005 Riesling Ihringer Winklerberg Auslese - This was just as good too. Richer with apparent botrytis and wonderful purity. I was pretty tired when it came to this wine as this was the fourth visit at the end of a long day of driving.

2005 Riesling Ihringer Winklerberg Berenauslese - This was one of the great sweet wines of the trip. I loved it but barely remember it. All I remember was the high quality.

2005 Ihringer Winklerberg Muskateller Auslese - I was too tired to remember anything about this wine except it smelled great.

This was a great visit and I am very excited to go back this August and taste again.