Summary
Weingut Thomas Hensel in Bad Dürkheim is one of the addresses that helped build the reputation of the Pfalz as Germany's red wine region. Across around 19 hectares, two very different wine worlds take shape: cool-fermented, clearly drawn white wines – above all Riesling – and, on the other side, dense reds matured at length in barrique. The winery sits on the edge of town right next to the gliding airfield, and it owes its unusual naming world to that neighbourhood: the wines are called Aufwind, Höhenflug and – at the top of the pyramid – Ikarus.
History
Winegrowing is nothing new in the Hensel family: their ancestors were already tending vines in the Pfalz in the 17th century, a tradition reaching back more than 300 years. The estate's present profile, however, is considerably younger. In 1990, Thomas Hensel took over and rebuilt it from the ground up – away from volume, towards quality, hand harvesting and a clearly recognisable style of its own.
Formative for that path was his training under Hans-Günter Schwarz at Weingut Müller-Catoir in Neustadt-Haardt. Schwarz is regarded as one of the most influential cellar masters in modern German wine history, and the school of minimal intervention in the cellar goes back to him. Hensel sums up his own attitude in a single sentence: you have to let the wine become, not make the wine.
Success came early – the first vintages after the handover were already winning awards. In 2008, Gault&Millau rated the estate with three grapes, confirming the ambition behind the realignment.
Location & Terroir
Bad Dürkheim lies on the German Wine Route at the northern end of the Mittelhaardt, that core of the Pfalz which stands for the ripest and densest wines of the region. The town is known far beyond the wine world for its Wurstmarkt festival and claims one of the largest contiguous vineyard areas of any German municipality.
Climatically the area is privileged: the Haardt escarpment, the eastern spur of the Palatinate Forest, shields the vineyards from rain and cold air from the west, while the Rhine plain delivers warmth. Figs, almonds and kiwis along the paths are not a curiosity here but everyday reality – and it is precisely this warmth that allows varieties such as Merlot or Cabernet to reach physiological ripeness in the Pfalz at all.
The soils change over short distances between colourful sandstone (Buntsandstein), limestone, loess and loam as well as gravelly portions. For the estate that means Riesling and the Pinot family find suitable parcels just as readily as the late-ripening red varieties, which need warmth and water-retaining soils.
Style & Philosophy
Two vinification philosophies run in parallel at Weingut Hensel. The white wines are fermented cool and slowly, mostly in stainless steel, and then rest for a long time on the fine lees. The result is dry wines with clear fruit, noticeable drive and a texture that comes more from lees contact than from wood. With Riesling, precision comes before opulence.
With the reds, the signature is a different one: small yields, hand harvesting, extended maceration and consistent ageing in barrique. The wines are built dark, dense and tannic and need time – not a style for quick consumption, but rather for the decanter and a few years in the cellar. High-alcohol, highly concentrated reds sit here alongside lighter and, more recently, partially dealcoholised versions for uncomplicated occasions.
Notable Sites & Wines
Rather than putting single vineyards in the foreground, the estate works with its own three-tier hierarchy – named after the gliding airfield beside the vines:
- Aufwind – the entry range: single-variety, cleanly made whites and reds for everyday enjoyment
- Höhenflug – the selection tier: wines from better parcels, with wood ageing and more structure
- Ikarus – the estate's flagship red: predominantly Cabernet Cubin, around 24 months in barrique, bottled only in convincing vintages and built for long ageing
Added to that are single-variety Rieslings in styles from dry to off-dry (feinherb), Sauvignon Blanc, Weißburgunder and Chardonnay as well as reds and blends from Merlot, St. Laurent and the Cabernet varieties. Cabernet Cubin is a German crossing of Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon – a variety that delivers deep, spicy wines and copes well in the Pfalz.
Awards
The rating of three grapes in Gault&Millau (2008) marks the estate's establishment among the leading group in the Pfalz; the first vintages after the handover had already been awarded prizes. Since then Hensel has appeared regularly in the usual German wine guides and at tastings – mostly with the reds as the driving force. If you want to get to know the style, the Aufwind range offers an affordable entry point; if you want to understand why the estate has its reputation, try an Ikarus with a few years of bottle age and plenty of air.