Summary
Weingut Siegbert Bimmerle in Renchen-Erlach is one of the largest and best-known family wine estates in Baden. What began in 1936 as a small wine merchant's business is today an operation with around 140 hectares of vineyards in the Ortenau – that sun-blessed stretch of country between the edge of the Black Forest and the Rhine plain, counted among the warmest wine areas in Germany. The Pinot family takes centre stage: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) are the flagships, joined by Riesling, Weißburgunder, Chardonnay and an unusually broad palette of other varieties. Bimmerle combines craft ambition with a scale that is rare in Baden.
History
The story begins in 1936, when Josef Bimmerle started trading wine in Erlach. His son Gerold expanded the business into wine production of its own and thereby laid the foundation for today's estate. The decisive step came in 1986: Siegbert Bimmerle, a trained wine buyer, took over the business in the third generation – at that point with just over six hectares of vines.
From then on things moved fast. Siegbert Bimmerle put quality firmly at the centre and expanded the vineyard holdings step by step until the estate reached its present size of around 140 hectares. Investment in technology went hand in hand with that: the cellar in Erlach was rebuilt in 1999, and a new facility in Renchen followed in 2010. Both served the same goal – gentler, more precise handling from vine to bottle. Today Benedikt Bimmerle represents the fourth generation in the business.
Location & Terroir
The Ortenau lies between the western edge of the Black Forest and the Rhine plain, level with Offenburg and Baden-Baden. It is one of the warmest and sunniest corners of Germany – around 1,700 hours of sunshine a year are no rarity here, and the almost mild climate allows a ripeness many more northerly regions can only dream of. Figs and chestnut trees by the roadside are part of the landscape.
Geologically the slopes at the edge of the Black Forest are shaped above all by weathered granite, gneiss, porphyry and quartzite. These primary-rock soils give the wines their mineral stamp: lean in build, clear in fruit, with lively freshness rather than sheer power. That is exactly what the Riesling plays to – the variety has always been called Klingelberger in the Ortenau.
One particularity of Bimmerle is how far its holdings spread: the parcels are strung out across roughly 90 kilometres – from the northern Ortenau near Baden-Baden through the Rench valley down to the southern Ortenau and the northern Breisgau around Ettenheim. That is demanding logistically, but it brings a wide range of soils, elevations and ripening dates into the cellar.
Style & Philosophy
Bimmerle is an estate that brings scale and care together. Despite the acreage, important parcels are picked by hand into small containers, and yields are regulated in the vineyard. In the cellar the estate relies on gentle handling, made possible by the investments of 1999 and 2010.
Stylistically the wines stand for Baden approachability: ripe, clean fruit, moderate acidity, dry as the rule. The Spätburgunder is prized for its elegance and depth, the Grauburgunder for freshness and fruit intensity. Alongside these the estate farms an unusually broad spectrum of varieties – besides Riesling, Weißburgunder and Chardonnay also Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer, Auxerrois as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. That variety is typical of Baden, where international and native grapes have long stood side by side.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is broadly tiered and runs from uncomplicated estate wines to the mature peaks:
- Spätburgunder – the red flagship, from approachable and fruity to dense and barrel-aged
- Grauburgunder – fresh, juicy and fruit-driven; one of the estate's best-selling wines
- Riesling (Klingelberger) – taut and mineral from the primary-rock soils of the Ortenau
- Weißburgunder and Chardonnay – the classic Baden white-wine complement
- Réserve wines – the upper tier with longer ageing
- Prädikat wines up to Beerenauslese and Eiswein – nobly sweet rarities from good vintages
- Sparkling wine, Secco, rosé and the estate's own spirits round out the programme
If you want to get to know the estate's style on the spot, the Weinrefugium in Renchen-Erlach is the place: it hosts tastings with cellar tours as well as seminars and events for smaller groups.
Awards
Bimmerle has for years been among the regularly decorated producers of Baden. Above all at the German Agricultural Society (DLG) and the Baden regional competitions the estate collects medals year after year; the wines from Renchen-Erlach are counted there among the elite of German wine. The estate is also present in the relevant wine guides and at international tastings. What stands out is less any single trophy than the consistency: staying at this level across a very broad range is an achievement in itself at around 140 hectares.