Summary
Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan in Deidesheim is one of the oldest and most tradition-rich addresses in the Pfalz (Palatinate). Its family history reaches back to the year 1718, and for centuries the estate has shaped the reputation of fine Palatinate wine far beyond the region. Together with Bürklin-Wolf and von Buhl, Bassermann-Jordan formed the legendary "three Bs" of the Mittelhaardt. Across around 49 hectares in the best sites of Forst, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg it produces classic, mineral, straight-lined Rieslings – wines that combine the region's great historic tradition with present-day precision.
History
The estate's roots reach back to the year 1718, when the Jordan family, immigrants from Savoy, began growing wine in the Pfalz; in 1783 they moved their base to Deidesheim. The formative figure was Andreas Jordan (1775–1848), one of the first in Germany to pursue quality viticulture consistently: he separated the grape varieties in the cellar, favoured noble varieties such as Riesling, and began early on to name individual vineyard sites on the bottles – a forerunner of today's single-site classification.
Through marriages, the Jordan family joined with the Bassermann and von Buhl houses, giving rise to the present name. The estate became world-famous under Friedrich von Bassermann-Jordan (1872–1959), who ran it for decades and was at the same time the most important wine historian of his era. In 1910 the estate was among the founding members of today's VDP. After the family line came to an end, the entrepreneur Achim Niederberger acquired the estate; since his death in 2013 it has been continued by his heir Jana Seeger – under the same roof as neighbouring von Winning.
Location & Terroir
Bassermann-Jordan lies on the German Wine Route in the Mittelhaardt – that heartland of the Pfalz which is home to some of Germany's finest dry Rieslings. The climate is remarkably mild and sun-drenched; the Haardt ridge, the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest, shields the vines from weather extremes and ensures long, even ripening.
Decisive is the small-scale diversity of the soils. In Forst, the black basalt (as in the Pechstein site) gives the wines a smoky, mineral, taut note, while Buntsandstein (coloured sandstone), limestone and loamy soils in Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg tend to produce fuller, more elegant Rieslings. On these differing subsoils, Riesling develops its typical combination of fruit fullness, clear minerality and fine spice.
Style & Philosophy
Stylistically, Bassermann-Jordan stands for classic, dry Riesling that puts origin front and centre. The wines rely less on spectacular effects than on precision, balance and fidelity to their sites: straight-lined, mineral and with a fine acid structure, built for good ageing. Maturation is gentle, frequently in the large wooden cask (Stückfass) as well as stainless steel, in order to reflect each site's character without distortion.
Around 85 percent of the vineyard area is planted with Riesling. The range is rounded out by Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) as well as smaller quantities of other varieties such as Scheurebe and Gewürztraminer. Above all stands the ambition to translate the historic greatness of the Deidesheim and Forst sites into contemporary, clear wines.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is clearly tiered: from accessible estate Rieslings through village wines to the Große Gewächse (Grands Crus) from the grand-cru sites. More than a third of the vineyard area falls to classified top sites. Among the estate's most famous vineyards are:
- Forster Kirchenstück – often called Germany's finest Riesling site
- Forster Jesuitengarten and Forster Pechstein – the one full of finesse, the other smoky and mineral on basalt
- Forster Ungeheuer – powerful and spicy
- Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen, Kalkofen, Kieselberg and Leinhöhle
- Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad and Hoheburg
These wines regularly rank among the most characterful dry Rieslings of the Pfalz.
Awards
As early as the 19th century, the estate's wines won international recognition, among other things at several World's Fairs. To this day, Bassermann-Jordan is regularly listed among the top producers of the Pfalz in the leading wine guides (Falstaff, Gault&Millau, Eichelmann). As one of the historic "three Bs" and a VDP founding member, the estate embodies the great tradition of Deidesheim Riesling like few others – and carries it into the present with clearly origin-driven wines.