Summary
Weingut Heitlinger in Östringen-Tiefenbach is one of the best-known addresses in the Kraichgau and one of the largest certified biodynamic estates in Baden. Across around 80 hectares – together with the sister estate Burg Ravensburg more than 100 hectares – the Pinot family takes centre stage: Spätburgunder, Weiß- and Grauburgunder as well as Chardonnay, rounded out by Riesling. Since converting to organic and biodynamic viticulture, the estate has worked Demeter-certified and consistently terroir-oriented. Around the estate, the „Heitlinger Genusswelten" have grown up with a golf resort, hotels and restaurants.
History
The estate was founded in 1960 by Albert Heitlinger and grew over the following decades into one of the larger operations in the Kraichgau. The defining turning point came in 2008, when the Heiler / Jacklin family took over the estate and consistently geared it towards quality and sustainable management.
A further milestone was the acquisition of the tradition-rich VDP estate Burg Ravensburg in Sulzfeld, which has since been farmed together with Heitlinger – both remain legally independent operations under wine law. Around the estate, an 18-hole golf resort, hotels and restaurants have grown up to form the „Heitlinger Genusswelten". Today the family runs the business in the next generation.
Location & Terroir
The Kraichgau is the hilly landscape between Karlsruhe and Heidelberg and forms the northern part of the Baden wine region. Gentle slopes, a comparatively cool, continentally shaped climate and above all shell limestone (Muschelkalk) and loess soils create ideal conditions for the Pinot varieties and for Riesling.
The limestone soils give the wines minerality and structure, while the loess provides fullness and ripeness. The cooler nights of the Kraichgau preserve freshness and acidity – an important foundation for elegant, long-lived wines. The biodynamic management strengthens the vitality of the soils and the expressiveness of the individual sites.
Style & Philosophy
Heitlinger sees itself as a terroir estate and works to the strict guidelines of biodynamic viticulture (Demeter). In the vineyard this means doing without synthetic products, targeted cover cropping and the promotion of a living soil; in the cellar a restrained, minimally interventionist ageing that puts the wines' origin to the fore.
Stylistically, dry wines dominate, with clear fruit, fine structure and length. The Spätburgunder are made in a Burgundian style, often aged in wooden barrels; the Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder and Chardonnays are precise and terroir-driven. The Riesling benefits from the limestone and the coolness of the Kraichgau.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is tiered according to the VDP site pyramid – from estate wines through village and site wines to the Große Gewächse. The estate's single vineyards include, among others:
- Schellenbrunnen in Tiefenbach
- Spiegelberg with the well-known parcel Wormsberg
- Kapellenberg with the parcel Wigoldsberg
- Königsbecher near Odenheim
At the heart are the Pinot wines and the Rieslings from the best limestone sites. Together with the sister estate Burg Ravensburg, an annual production of around 300,000 bottles is made.
Awards
As one of the largest biodynamically run estates in Germany, Heitlinger has earned a firm place among Baden's quality producers and is regularly featured in the leading German wine guides. Admission to the VDP in 2012 underlines the estate's ambition to help lead Baden viticulture – with a clear focus on Pinot, Riesling and sustainable management.