Summary
Weingut Holger Koch in Bickensohl on the Kaiserstuhl is a small family estate with a big reputation. Holger Koch and his wife Gabriele Engesser founded the business as an independent winery in 2001, after the family had supplied grapes to the local cooperative for generations. On around 7.5 hectares of terraced vineyards on loess over volcanic rock they produce almost exclusively wines from Pinot varieties – above all Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc). The style is consistently Burgundian: vines from Burgundy, spontaneous fermentation, long lees ageing, little technology. Within Baden the estate is now regarded as one of the most exciting Pinot addresses.
History
The Koch family has been rooted in the viticulture of Bickensohl for generations. For a long time it was, like many businesses on the Kaiserstuhl, a grape supplier to the local winegrowers' cooperative – since 1923, as the estate itself states. The change began in the late 1990s, when Holger Koch and Gabriele Engesser took over the business and set themselves a clear goal: to produce outstanding Pinot wines modelled on Burgundy, not on the Baden average.
A decisive step was taken as early as 1999: instead of relying on the usual regional selections, Holger Koch sourced Pinot Noir vines directly from Burgundy and planted them in Bickensohl. For the Kaiserstuhl this was an unusual, almost revolutionary path at the time. The founding of the estate's own winery followed in 2001 – since then the family has bottled its wines itself and marketed them under the Holger Koch name.
Over the years the estate has deliberately remained small. Instead of buying land, the family has invested in the cellar and in sustainability: a groundwater heat pump has provided heating since 2008, a photovoltaic system has supplied electricity since 2018, and a 100,000-litre tank collects rainwater for the business.
Location & Terroir
The Kaiserstuhl is an extinct volcanic massif in the Upper Rhine plain and is considered one of the warmest winegrowing zones in Germany. Holger Koch's vineyards all surround Bickensohl – according to the estate no further than ten minutes by tractor from the cellar. They are mostly small, steep terraced parcels at around 300 to 380 metres altitude, in other words in the higher sites of the Kaiserstuhl.
The soil consists of loess over volcanic rock: the loess layer stores water and nutrients, while the volcanic rock beneath provides warmth and a spicy, mineral note in the wines. The altitude of the parcels is an important counterweight to the heat of the region – cooler nights preserve acidity and freshness, which is crucial especially for the Spätburgunder.
In the vineyard the family avoids herbicides and synthetic fertilisers, works with organic fertilisation and cover crops, and relies on copper, sulphur and baking soda for plant protection. According to the estate, it gave up organic certification because of the bureaucratic burden – the way of working has remained.
Style & Philosophy
Holger Koch sees himself as a Pinot grower. His model is Burgundy, not classic Baden winemaking. The grapes are harvested by hand and processed gently without pumps, fermentation is spontaneous with the vineyards' own yeasts, and the wines stay on the fine lees until bottling.
The white wines are aged roughly half in oak barrels and half in stainless steel, combining freshness and texture. The reds and the white selections mature in larger wooden casks of 300 to 500 litres. Filtration is minimal or absent altogether. The result is wines with tension and depth: Grauburgunder that is not broad and opulent but precise and saline; Weißburgunder with creamy texture and drive; and Spätburgunder whose perfume, fine tannin and coolness recall the Côte d’Or rather than classic Baden reds.
The Quality Pyramid
The estate organises its wines in its own tiers:
- Kaiserstuhl Burgunder: the entry-level wines from the Pinot varieties
- Herrenstück: single-vineyard wines from the Bickensohler Herrenstück
- Großes Gewächs: the estate's top wines from the best parcels
- Réserve: selections aged for an especially long time
In addition, one to three stars on the labels mark the selection level: the more stars, the stricter the grape selection and the more concentrated the wine.
Notable Sites & Wines
The estate's central site is the Bickensohler Herrenstück, the source of the single-vineyard wines and selections. Holger Koch is best known for:
- Spätburgunder at every level – from Kaiserstuhl Burgunder via the Herrenstück to the star-marked Großes Gewächs
- Grauburgunder, which at Koch turns out unusually taut and mineral and, as a selection, ranks among the best of its variety in Germany
- Weißburgunder and Chardonnay from wood and stainless steel
- Sauvignon Blanc as a complement to the range
The star selections of the Pinot varieties are small, sought after and quickly sold out in good vintages.
Awards
Weingut Holger Koch has for years been counted among the leading estates of the Kaiserstuhl and Baden in the major German wine guides. The Spätburgunder and Grauburgunder selections in particular regularly receive top ratings and appear in rankings of the best German Pinots. Sommeliers and specialist retailers value the estate as an insider tip for Burgundian-styled wines from Baden – with a quality that goes far beyond the size of the business.
