Immich-Batterieberg
BREATHTAKING
The Moselle Valley is not only stunningly beautiful, but also one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe - and without a doubt the German wine-growing region that is best known internationally. Anyone who has seen the incredibly steep slopes and stony soils can understand this. The natural physical characteristics of the Moselle are unique. The best Rieslings from the Moselle can be found on the wine list of every top restaurant in the world: due to their finesse, silky balance and almost endless finish. The length of flavour makes them among the best possible accompaniments to a dinner party, but - and every wine lover should keep this in mind - topclass wines from the Moselle need time to reach perfection. If they are given time in the bottle then the best specimens develop into legends.
HISTORIC
When a wine estate has been in business for more than a thousand years, you can speak of tradition! The oldest part of Immich-Batterieberg's building was mentioned in a document dating back to the year 908...... Thereby, the vaults of the wine cellar are supported by an original Roman basalt column. Not much more evidence is needed to establish the historical significance of this renowned wine company in Enkirch, which was later owned by the Immich family for five hundred years.
Knowledge about Riesling and the best sites on the Moselle were handed down from generation to generation. In the 1840s, Carl-August Immich developed the vineyard from which the estate takes its name. The Batterieberg became a vineyard by blowing up rocks with explosives. In the official Prussian vineyard classification of 1868, the estate's extremely steep vineyards were registered in the highest category. After a mediocre period in the 20th century, wine lovers Volker Auerbach, Roland Probst ánd winemaker Gernot Kollmann bought the winery. They constantly pursued the goal of restoring the extraordinary intrinsic value of Mosel wines - despite all prejudices and prevailing trends. Under the leadership of passionate winemaker Gernot Kollman, immich-Batterieberg now produces uncompromising and refined wines that are among the absolute best of their kind in the world.
DAZZLING
It can hardly get steeper (yes - nearby Calmont seems even steeper). Immich-Batterieberg's vineyards are so steep of that the sunlight falls almost perpendicularly on the vines. In the process, the roots have to plough deep into the stony slate soils to firmly anchor the vine. Yields are extremely low, and therefore the aromas particularly concentrated. For this reason, wines from the steepest sites are always unmistakably shaped by their origins (terroir). The vineyards must be worked by hand; machines are useless. Immich-Batterieberg currently owns five vineyards on extremely steep slopes: Batterieberg, Steffensberg, Zeppwingert, Ellergrub and Zollturm. Gernot Kollmann has set himself the goal of restoring and rehabilitating particularly steep, old and labour-intensive vineyards. The number of steep plots will grow over the years, preserving the cultural value of the Moselle as a wine region.
STRONG CHARACTERS
All the estate's wines come from the steepest vineyards, ranked in the highest quality category from 1868. Grapes for the vineyard wines Batterieberg, Ellergrub, Zeppwingert, Steffensberg and Zollturm are harvested and vinified plot by plot. The vines are over sixty-five years old and all grow on their own rootstock, yields are only 25 hectolitres per hectare on average! For the wines Escheburg and C.A.I., grapes are harvested from vines that are younger.
More info (German): https://www.batterieberg.com/weingut/