Summary
Weingut Bischel in Appenheim in Rheinhessen is one of those estates that have fundamentally changed the region's reputation over the past two decades. The brothers Matthias and Christian Runkel have run the family estate since the 2006 vintage and turned it from a solid farm-gate operation into one of the most sought-after addresses in Rheinhessen. Across around 20 hectares they produce dry white wines built uncompromisingly on origin – above all Riesling, plus Silvaner, Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as well as Spätburgunder and Frühburgunder. On 1 January 2019 the estate was admitted to the VDP.
History
The family has been growing vines in Appenheim for several generations, but the estate in its present form is comparatively young. In 1968 grandfather Karl-Heinz Bischel laid the foundation; at first his grapes still went to the cooperative. His daughter Heike and her husband Hartmut Runkel turned the mixed farm into an independent wine estate. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the family began bottling its own wines – keeping the name Bischel as the brand.
The decisive leap came with the next generation. Matthias and Christian Runkel both studied at Geisenheim University and gathered experience far from home: Matthias among others at the VDP estate Keller in Flörsheim-Dalsheim and in New Zealand, Christian with Tim Adams in Australia's Clare Valley and at the South African estate Backsberg. Since the 2006 vintage the brothers have jointly been responsible for vineyard and cellar. They cut yields, switched to hand harvesting, bought parcels in the best sites nearby and focused the range consistently on dry wines of origin. In 2019 admission to the VDP confirmed that path officially.
Location & Terroir
Appenheim lies in north-western Rheinhessen, halfway between Mainz and Bingen and therefore in one of the driest and warmest corners of Germany. Limestone is the defining factor here: the hills around Appenheim and Gau-Algesheim sit on thick layers of limestone and marl that store water in the subsoil and give the wines their cool, saline signature. On these soils Riesling turns out slender, taut and almost crystalline, while Silvaner develops a herbal, savoury depth.
The Binger Scharlachberg on the edge of the Rhine bend is a different story altogether: here quartzite and slate dominate, combined with a steep southern exposure. The wines from this site are darker, spicier and more powerful – a clear contrast to the cool precision of the limestone. It is exactly this range that defines the estate's portfolio: two grand cru sites that could hardly be more different, vinified on the same principle.
Style & Philosophy
The Runkel brothers work in a deliberately pared-back way. In the vineyard that means near-natural management with cover crops, consistent yield reduction and hand harvesting in several passes. In the cellar it means as little intervention as possible: spontaneous fermentation with the vineyards' own yeasts, long lees ageing, maturation in stainless steel and used large wooden casks, little sulphur and no technical make-up to mask origin.
The result is wines that work through structure and salinity rather than fruit. The estate wines are clear, drinkable and uncomplicated, while the village and single-vineyard wines gain considerable depth with a few years of bottle age. Alongside Riesling it is above all Silvaner that deserves attention – a variety that hits top form on Rheinhessen limestone. Among the reds the estate relies on Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and the early-ripening Frühburgunder, which come out slender and spicy rather than opulent.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range follows the VDP pyramid: estate wine, village wine, Erste Lage and Große Lage. The estate's most important sites include:
- Appenheimer Hundertgulden – the flagship site on limestone, source of a cool, mineral Riesling Großes Gewächs
- Binger Scharlachberg – quartzite and slate, steep and south-facing, for powerful, spicy Rieslings
- Appenheimer Drosselborn – limestone-driven, often used for Silvaner and Riesling
- Gau-Algesheimer St. Laurenzikapelle, Goldberg and Johannisberg – further sites in the surroundings
The two Große Gewächse from Hundertgulden and Scharlachberg are considered the estate's calling cards and are regularly cited as benchmarks for Rheinhessen.
Awards
The estate's rise can be read off the wine guides. Eichelmann named the estate's white wine collection as collection of the year, and Falstaff, Vinum and Gault&Millau have rated the wines at the top level for years – the Riesling Großes Gewächs from the Appenheimer Hundertgulden received around 94+ points from Falstaff for the 2022 vintage. The most important distinction, however, remains admission to the VDP on 1 January 2019, with which Bischel finally arrived in the circle of Germany's leading estates.