{"title":"Holger Koch","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Kaiserstuhl is a volcanic island rising from the Rhine plain across from Alsace, and on its cooler slopes Holger Koch makes Burgundy varieties of unusual finesse. His Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and Spatburgunder rank among the most subtle in Germany.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Koch family had grown grapes in Bickensohl for generations, supplying the local cooperative since 1923. That changed in 1999, when Holger Koch took over from his parents and resolved to bottle the family's own wine. He had trained as an intern at Graf Neipperg in Saint-Emilion and as head cellarmaster at Franz Keller in nearby Oberbergen. The first estate-bottled vintage followed in 2001, the project he runs with his partner Gabriele.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore on how they farm and work in the cellar in our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/natural-wine-producers-primal-wine\/holger-koch\"\u003eHolger Koch producer profile\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"spatburgunder-kaiserstuhl-holger-koch-natural-wine","title":"Holger Koch Spätburgunder Kaiserstuhl 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Spätburgunder comes from 35-year-old vines grown on loess soils at around 240 meters elevation in Bickensohl, one of the higher-lying villages in the Kaiserstuhl. The grapes sit at the entry level of Holger Koch's Burgundy-inspired hierarchy, where loess-dominant soils deliver fruit-forward, approachable wines with clear structure. The blend draws on both local Baden clones and selection massale cuttings from Burgundy and Alsace, in roughly a 55\/45 split.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, fermentation proceeds with indigenous yeast in 3,000-liter wooden casks with 14 days of maceration. The wine then ages nine months in those same large-format casks with no fining or filtration. The result is dry, precise, and light on its feet — sour cherry and red currant on the nose, a thread of clove and white tobacco spice, and clean acidity that keeps it lively through the finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHolger Koch has farmed organically since the estate was established, dropping formal certification after 2014 due to administrative burden but maintaining the same practices: no herbicides or synthetic fertilizers, cover crop seeding, and hand harvesting. The estate covers roughly 7.5 hectares of terraced vineyards around Bickensohl, all worked with low intervention in the cellar.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt 13% ABV, this is a red built for the table rather than the cellar. Serve it slightly cool — around 57 to 60°F — to keep the red fruit crisp and the tannins in check.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holger Koch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36794683588760,"sku":"KOCHSPAT18C","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/holger-koch-spatburgunder-germany-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1630818706"},{"product_id":"pinot-blanc-kaiserstuhl-natural-wine","title":"Holger Koch Pinot Blanc Kaiserstuhl 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 100% Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) comes from the entry-level Kaiserstuhl vineyards around the village of Bickensohl in Baden's Kaiserstuhl district. The vines, approximately 30 years old at harvest, grow on loess soils at around 240 meters elevation — the flattest, lowest-lying land in Holger Koch's holdings. Grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed, and left on skins overnight before pressing, with a small portion (roughly 3–7%) undergoing brief skin contact to add grip and structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFermentation starts with indigenous yeasts and the wine ages on the lees in a combination of stainless steel and large neutral wooden barrels. No fining or filtration. The result is dry and brisk, with green apple, tart pear skin, a hint of bread crust, and a saline mineral finish that is characteristic of this site. The 2019 vintage benefited from a cool May and September, which kept alcohol moderate and preserved the wine's natural freshness and acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHolger Koch's classification system mirrors Burgundy: the Kaiserstuhl wines sit at the base of the ladder, sourced from the lower-elevation loess parcels and built for immediate pleasure and food pairing. Higher up the ladder are the Herrenstück terraces, where more volcanic soil and wind exposure produce wines of greater texture and intensity. This Pinot Blanc is the accessible, everyday entry point into that hierarchy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe winery has been practicing organic viticulture without synthetic herbicides or fertilizers, with organic certification held until 2014. The vines' massale selection cuttings trace back to Puligny-Montrachet and Alsace, which helps explain the wine's Burgundian frame despite its German address.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holger Koch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39890823708871,"sku":"KOCHWEIS19C","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/holger-koch-weissburgunder-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1626240923"},{"product_id":"chardonnay-holger-koch-natural-wine","title":"Holger Koch Chardonnay 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eHolger Koch's Chardonnay Herrenstück comes from the terraced Herrenstück vineyards above the Kaiserstuhl flatlands, at around 300 meters elevation. The soils here are a mix of loess and volcanic rock — thinner topsoil and more concentrated volcanic substrate than the lower Kaiserstuhl parcels, with stronger winds and greater diurnal temperature swings. The Chardonnay vines are grafted from selection massale cuttings sourced in Puligny-Montrachet, planted on the cooler hillside terraces of Bickensohl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, the wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in 500–600L barrels, with a small skin-contact portion (roughly 5–10%) blended in before bottling. The wine ages sur lie with periodic battonage and sees no fining. The result is dry, mineral, and structured rather than fruit-forward or creamy — more aligned with a village-level white Burgundy than anything typically associated with German Chardonnay.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHolger Koch took over his family's estate in Vogtsburg am Kaiserstuhl in 1999. The property covers approximately 7.5 hectares, farmed organically (certified through 2014, practicing organic since). Vines are low-yielding, small-berried clones from Alsace and Burgundy. The winery sits close enough to Alsace that the French border is visible across the Rhine on a clear day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 2019 vintage delivered good ripeness across Baden without the heat extremes of some recent years, producing wines with concentration and freshness in balance — a favorable growing season for this style of Chardonnay.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holger Koch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39890848088263,"sku":"KOCHCHAR19C","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/holger-koch-chardonnay-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1630820134"}],"url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/collections\/holger-koch.oembed","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}