Middle Mosel wines from Gernot Kollmann of Immich-Batterieberg

Middle Mosel wines from Immich-Batterieberg

Immich-Batterieberg Producer Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Immich-Batterieberg
Region	Mosel
Country	Germany
Proprietor	Gernot Kollmann
Size	13 hectares (plus purchased fruit)
Farming	Organic (Not Certified)
Soils	Red, grey and blue slate
Grapes grown	Riesling, Pinot Noir
Fun facts	The only winery we are aware of featuring a label of little angels firing a Riesling bottle cannon.

The only winery we are aware of featuring a label of little angels firing a Riesling bottle cannon.

Name of Estate	Immich-Batterieberg
Region	Mosel
Country	Germany
Proprietor	Gernot Kollmann
Size	13 hectares (plus purchased fruit)
Farming	Organic (Not Certified)
Soils	Red, grey and blue slate
Grapes grown	Riesling, Pinot Noir
Fun facts	The only winery we are aware of featuring a label of little angels firing a Riesling bottle cannon.

Get to know
Immich-Batterieberg

producer profile 10.06.2019

Immich-Batterieberg Producer Profile

Immich-Batterieberg is one of the oldest wineries in the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>; originally founded by a <glossary title="1151">Carolingian </glossary>monastery, it can be traced back to the year 911. In 1495, the Immich family purchased the property, producing traditional <glossary title="405">dry </glossary>and <glossary title="736">off-dry</glossary><glossary title=""> </glossary>wines under their name for almost 500 years. In 1989, the <glossary title="427">estate </glossary>was sold to a new owner. The style of winemaking quickly shifted: long, <glossary title="976">spontaneous </glossary><glossary title="142">barrel </glossary><glossary title="441">fermentations </glossary>were replaced with <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary>, <glossary title="321">cultured yeasts</glossary> and <glossary title="657">micro-filtration</glossary>. The resulting wines became slicker, fruitier and more modern. After filing for bankruptcy in 2007, the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> was reacquired in 2009 by Gernot Kollmann and two Hamburg based investors. Gernot is one of Germany's finest up and comers, and no stranger to the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>: since his first internship at Dr. Loosen in the early 90's, he's also worked for Weingut Van Volxem (four  <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary>: 2000-2003) and Knebel (2004-2008). Since taking over, the wines are once again produced in a <glossary title="405">dry </glossary>or <glossary title="736">off-dry </glossary>style, with <glossary title="853">residual sugar </glossary>depending on each site and each <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. All of the <glossary title="959">single vineyard</glossary> <glossary title="1152">Cru </glossary>wines are once again being <glossary title="1104">vinified </glossary>separately in <glossary title="739">old oak</glossary> <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary>; <glossary title="976">spontaneous fermentations</glossary> are the norm and  <glossary title="270">chaptalization</glossary>, re/<glossary title="377">de-acidification</glossary> or any other intervention during <glossary title="1104">vinification </glossary>is forbidden. <glossary title="993">Sulfur </glossary>is added in low doses and only before <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>. As far as the sites and <glossary title="1026">terroirs </glossary>go, they are amongst some of the best in the middle <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>. 80% of the vines are <glossary title="464">un-grafted </glossary><glossary title=""></glossary>and over 60 years old, and everything is worked <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> (though not <glossary title="260">certified</glossary>). Five <glossary title="1152">Cru </glossary><glossary title="185">bottlings </glossary>are produced: Steffensberg is on a side valley behind the village of <glossary title="421">Enkirch</glossary>, and is characterized by deeper, softer soil composed of <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> heavy red <glossary title="961">slate</glossary>.  Batterieberg is a 1.1 h <glossary title="672">monopole </glossary>within the Zeppwingert, and also the place that gives the <glossary title="427">estate </glossary>its namesake: it was Carl August Immich's decision to dynamite this hill between 1841 and 1845 that permitted him to create <glossary title="1022">terraces</glossary> and plant vines (Batterieberg translates to Battered Mountain). The <glossary title="961">slate </glossary>here is grey and very rocky, with a heavy amount of <glossary title="842">quartz</glossary>.  To the right of Batterieberg is Gernot's <glossary title="760">parcel </glossary>from the Zeppwingert <glossary title="1152">Cru</glossary>. The soil is darker here.  150m further to the right is the Ellergrub. Gernot considers this his best vineyard. Here, you find the classic <glossary title="961">blue slate</glossary> of the middle <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>.  Finally, Zollturm features darker <glossary title="961">slate</glossary> soils, producing a more marked, rich <glossary title="662">minerality</glossary> for this  <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>. Three <glossary title="168">Mosel blends</glossary> are also produced: "C.A.I" (named after Carl August Immich) is a <glossary title="1146">blend </glossary>of the bottom rows of Batterieberg and purchased fruit from <glossary title="464">un-grafted,</glossary> <glossary title="746">organic </glossary>vineyards. "Escheburg" is a <glossary title="168">blend </glossary>of the "b selection" grapes that don't make it into the <glossary title="1152">Cru </glossary>bottlings. "Detonation" is the newest addition, a <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> produced from the top selection of grapes from the purchased fruit vineyards.

interview 10.06.2019

An Interview with Gernot Kollmann from 2013

This interview with Gernot Kollmann took place at the Immich-Batterieberg house in February, 2013. Tell us about Immich-Batterieberg's past and present. Immich-Batterieberg is one of the oldest wineries in the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>. The earliest documents we have trace it back to the year 911. It was originally founded by a <glossary title="1151">Carolingian </glossary>owner that belonged to a monastery, and the base of the <glossary title="254">cellar </glossary>is from the end of the 9th century (around 870). The family that gave its name to the winery took over in 1495 and owned it up until 1989.  Did the winery have a name before? We do not know. But it was not common for wineries to have names in medieval times.  What happened after 1989? There was another owner who went bankrupt in 2007. We took over in the beginning of 2009. If I'm not mistaken, this owner drastically changed the style of the wines. There was definitely a stylistic shift in the wines. The <glossary title="1152">Cru</glossary> <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>, now <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> individually, were being <glossary title="308">co-fermented</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary>, <glossary title="321">cultured yeasts </glossary>were being used and the wines were in a more fruity style. We're bringing things back to the winery's roots: more <glossary title="1126">wooden</glossary>  <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary>, <glossary title="976">spontaneous fermentations</glossary> and a less <glossary title="847">reductive </glossary>style. Did this new style hurt the estate's reputation?  Honestly, there wasn't really any reputation left to speak of. We started fresh, with a completely new customer base. At the moment, not one merchant who used to buy the wines has recontacted us, and only three or four consumers from the old days still visit and buy a few bottles!  If it was a totally new start, why keep the original name of the winery? Because the original name is so closely linked to the Batterieberg vineyard, but also because we wanted to use the classic 16th century <glossary title="573">label</glossary>. In the end, the reason we are here is because the wines were so fantastic in the past. We wanted to show that we are not a new winery, but an old one!  What were you doing before Immich-Batterieberg? Wine was a hobby for me. I originally wanted to practice medicine. I worked in a hospital for a few years, but my hobby grew stronger and I eventually made the decision to pursue wine full time in 1991. My first internship was at Dr Loosen. I then studied <glossary title="422">oenology </glossary>and marketing. When I finished my studies, I knew I had to return to the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>. I worked at a very large winery in <glossary title="1047">Trier </glossary>for three years, then four <glossary title="">vintages </glossary>at Weingut Van Volxem (2000 to 2003). I then left in July 2004 to start a winery consulting business.  How did working with these other wineries affect your own viticultural and winemaking choices? When I started with Van Volxem in 2000, there was no use of <glossary title="423">enzymes </glossary>or <glossary title="321">selected yeasts</glossary>. Working this way produces a style of more open and lively wines, and I would not be able to go back to <glossary title="321">cultured yeasts</glossary>: today, most wines made this way bore me. There is no <glossary title="377">de-acidification</glossary> in the winery, and we would never <glossary title="270">chaptalize</glossary>.  What's the work like in the vines?  We are working on extremely steep, <glossary title="1022">terraced</glossary> vineyards. No tractor or horse could ever maneuver through them, so all of the soil work has to be done by hand. This makes working <glossary title="">organically </glossary>very challenging. It's a hard fight, but I believe it is necessary. If you care about the soil, it will shine through in the bottle. There are so many types of grasses and herbs in these rocky vineyards, and I think they bring an innumerable amount of nuance to the wine. We will not stop working this way.  Let's talk about the sites you work with and the wines they produce. We should start by explaining the "C.A.I", which is named after Carl August Immich. His decision to dynamite the hill and create <glossary title="">terraces </glossary>between 1841 and 1845 is what gives our winery its name (note: Batterieberg translates to Battered Mountain). We produce this with our <glossary title="1130">young vines</glossary> but also from the base of the Batterieberg vineyard. We also purchase fruit from really good sites of  <glossary title="464">un-grafted</glossary>, <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically </glossary>tended vines that resemble what is grown around <glossary title="421">Enkirch</glossary>. So this wine is a <glossary title="689">Mosel </glossary><glossary title="168">blend</glossary>, but from really good sites.  As far as the <glossary title="1152">Cru </glossary>wines, we produce the Batterieberg, Ellergrub, Steffensberg, and Zeppwingert. But like most wineries in the world, we don't use 100% of the grapes from each site to produce each <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>. We only use the grapes from the best <glossary title="">terraces </glossary>and the <glossary title="740">oldest vines</glossary>. For example, we use about 50% of the Batterieberg vineyard to produce the "Batterieberg" label. The rest goes partly into the "C.A.I" and partly into the "Escheberg" <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>, which I would describe as the best "b selection" grapes from Batterieberg, Ellergrub and Steffensberg.  Most of the vines are older and un-grafted, right?  80% of our vines are <glossary title="464">un-grafted</glossary>, and the vines are minimum 60 years old in Steffenberg and minimum 80 years old in the other <glossary title="1152">Crus</glossary>. It's hard to know exactly when they were planted. So phylloxera never affected the Mosel? It did, but special vineyards all over the <glossary title="689">Mosel </glossary>have not been touched. We still aren't quite sure why, but when they are very steep and stony, the vines fare better. In such you find a lot of <glossary title="464">un-grafted</glossary> vines in the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>.  What are the soil compositions and microclimates you are working with? We have four different sites, and clearly their commonality is <glossary title="961">slate </glossary>soils. Steffensberg is on a side valley behind the village, with deeper, softer soil composed of more <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> <glossary title="961">red slate</glossary>. It is also the warmest vineyard we work.  Then we have Batterieberg, which is a <glossary title="672">monopole </glossary>within the Zeppwingert. It has bigger stones because it's our youngest vineyard (dating back to the mid 19th century), and the rock hasn't <glossary title="1153">eroded</glossary> as much. The <glossary title="961">slate</glossary> here is grey and very rocky, with a heavy amount of <glossary title="842">quartz</glossary>.  To the right of Batterieberg, we have the <glossary title="760">parcel </glossary>we <glossary title="1104">vinify </glossary>the Zeppwingert with. The soil is darker here, and you can certainly taste the difference in the wines.  Finally, 150m further, we have Ellergrub. I consider this our best vineyard. Here there are fine <glossary title="961">slate </glossary>plates and you have the classic <glossary title="961">blue slate</glossary> of the middle <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>.  Why do you not use the Pradikat system? We designate the "C.A.I" as a <glossary title="562">Kabinett </glossary>only to show that it was not <glossary title="270">chaptalized </glossary>and that we are intentionally producing a light, low alcohol wine. The maximum alcohol we want for this wine is 11.5%.  For us, it makes no sense to systematically follow the <glossary term="Pradikat" title="1154">Pradikat</glossary> system. We want to show an expression of a vineyard, and because of our <glossary title="1129">low yields</glossary> we never have ripeness problems. In such, the <glossary title="1152">Crus </glossary>are designated as <glossary title="841">QbA</glossary>, but would fall under <glossary title="972">Spatlese </glossary>or  <glossary title="127">Auslese</glossary>. In certain <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary> we produce  <glossary title="181">noble sweet wines</glossary>, and these will be labeled <glossary title="127">Auslese</glossary>. But this is not the focus of the winery, and I am happy with every grape we <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> that isn't <glossary title="181">botrytised</glossary>; we are lucky that our climate mostly avoids this.  At what point do you add sulfur to the wines? We <glossary title="993">sulfur </glossary>very late, just before <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>. We also make an effort to use the lowest amount possible. The wines spend a very long time on their <glossary title="590">lees </glossary>in <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary>, so it is not necessary to add any before <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>.  How do you feel about the current context of Mosel wine?  In the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>, I think there are two different philosophies of production. One is the more "classic" style, but it's only been classic for around 40 years. I am of course referring to the <glossary title="1154">Pradikat </glossary>style of sweet, fruity or <glossary title="181">noble sweet whites</glossary>. I consider these to be very good an interesting interpretation of the <glossary title="689">Mosel</glossary>.  On the other hand, others have decided to rediscover <glossary title="405">dryer </glossary><glossary title="689">Mosel </glossary>wines, which was the norm before modern winemaking techniques like <glossary title="657">micro-filtration</glossary>. For us, we wanted to go back to this style.  How does a region with such a long and rich winemaking history shift styles so drastically?  Market demand. At the end of the 1960's, sweeter wines were what people wanted to drink, and this led to about 95% of <glossary title="689">Mosel </glossary>wines being produced in a sweeter style. But then in the mid 80's there was a counter movement, specifically in Germany, where people only wanted <glossary title="176">bone-dry</glossary> wines. Immediately, the style shifted. Today, the sweet wines have stayed popular on the export market, while the <glossary title="405">dry </glossary>wines are still what people prefer to drink in Germany. But my goal with Immich-Batterieberg is to express a vineyard, not pander to a specific market.  What do you like to drink? There are so many wines in this world! I don't care much about grape varieties: <glossary title="858">Riesling</glossary>, <glossary title="271">Chardonnay </glossary>and <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> are only as interesting as the place they come from. And that does not mean they are always interesting, and should be planted everywhere! I'm interested in focused, balanced wines with natural <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>. I look for an expression of purity, and this is something you can find from all over the world.

producer visit 05.08.2019

This visit to Weingut Immich-Batterieberg took place in February, 2013

This visit to Weingut Immich-Batterieberg took place in February, 2013. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Jake Halper and Josefa Concannon. After 10 days in the <glossary title="">Loire</glossary>, it was time to say goodbye to France. After a fun last night in <glossary title="761">Paris</glossary>, a small group of us took the train to Luxembourg, rented some cars and headed straight to the village of <glossary title="421">Enkirch</glossary><glossary title="421"> </glossary>to meet with Gernot Kollmann of Immich-Batterieberg.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//4c/a6/4ca6f6c9ae73c4ec0d09c12e84a682d8.jpg" /> We arrived in the late afternoon, so we started the visit by tasting some 2012's from <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary> and <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//53/6a/536a0370f128f217fb2ee5a7f114b2ce.jpg" /> Notes on the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>: overall production was down 50% from 2011, which in itself was a low <glossary title="">yielding </glossary>year. By purchasing fruit, Gernot was able to produce as much "C.A.I" and "Escheburg" as last year. In a statement that echoed what we heard and tasted over and over again in the <glossary title="">Loire</glossary>, Gernot confirmed that he was very happy with the wines of 2012, and that the quality of the <glossary title="1109">vintage </glossary>will be excellent.  <glossary title="441">Fermentations </glossary>are very slow this year, particularly in the <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary>. We started by tasting three separate <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary> of "C.A.I". Each was produced with purchased fruit from three separate sites. The first had a nice balance between <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> and sugar, the second was much more <glossary title="71">acidic</glossary> and <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> and the third was round and <glossary title="662">mineral</glossary>. They were all disjointed on their own (let's not forget they were unfinished), but based on their individual characteristics, I'm sure the <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> will come together nicely.  All the <glossary title="1152">Cru </glossary>wines are <glossary title="441">fermented </glossary>and <glossary title="74">aged </glossary>in <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//f2/1f/f21fc574ff68a6c6829746f606828252.jpg" /> We tasted "Ellergrub", "Steffensberg", "Batterieberg" as well as "Zeppwingert", which has about 15% <glossary title="181">botrytis </glossary>this <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. We then got to check out the original <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, which dates back to 870 (no, not 1870. 870!) <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//a3/23/a32304f9df91d9e914fb77c3cdf9d390.jpg" /> After visiting the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, we retried the 2011's and had an epic dinner. Gernot is a great cook, and he decided to go all out with local dishes, including wild boar hunted in the vineyard and served into our plates, aka my favorite trend of these trips. This started with Dora Forsoni making us wild boar stew in 2011, and since then we have been served wild boar at François Cazin's, Bernard Baudry, Luneau-Papin (twice), Pépière (twice, in paté form) and I'm forgetting at least two other places. Bottom line: wild boars in three different countries eat the grapes of our livelihood, so we must eat them in retaliation. Katharina Prüm was there, and she kept pulling out bottles from the early 2000's. She also made dessert: a lovely apple tart. The meal ended with a humongous platter of cheese Gernot had purchased in <glossary title="104">Angers</glossary>, and more interestingly a bottle of 1959 Immich-Batterieberg. We drank a lot of old <glossary title="1109">vintages </glossary>that were full of life this trip, and this bottle was a particularly good example. The <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>, color and focus was just incredible, and I would never have guessed the wine was that old on taste/smell alone.  Two days later, we returned to visit the vineyards, starting with the Batterieberg site.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//9d/72/9d729e47d099217b495384825c92772c.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//4f/92/4f925f36c81fa726b8847184f1733a99.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//5e/5a/5e5a68e4b2322d7823cce99ad8e5543f.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//df/da/dfdada75396a3994105ce1524924a291.jpg" /> Batterieberg is a <glossary title="672">monopole </glossary>within the Zeppwingert vineyard. It was formed by Carl August Immich, who chose to dynamite this part of the hill between 1841 and 1845 in order to create <glossary title="1022">terraces </glossary>and plant vines. This is also what gives the <glossary title="427">estate </glossary>its name, as Batterieberg tranlsates to Battered Mountain. It's also the youngest vineyard in the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>. Gernot has recently purchased some old, abandoned <glossary title="1022">terraces </glossary>around here, but it will take some time before anything is replanted, since the walls need to be rebuilt.  The base of Batterieberg was replanted in the 1990's by the previous owner, and were <glossary title="">grafted </glossary>on a <glossary title="869">rootstock </glossary>Gernot disapproves of. "Back then no one cared about vines and <glossary title="869">rootstock</glossary>, just quantity."  As a result, this lower part is <glossary title="1146">blended</glossary> into the "C.A.I". In the future, everything that Gernot replants will be in <glossary title="941">selection massale</glossary>: most from Immich-Batterieberg vines but also from another <glossary title="427">estate </glossary>in the <glossary title="1155">Saar</glossary>. In total, Batterieberg represents 1.1 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>; 0.6 go into the "Batterieberg" <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>. Last summer, we got to ride up on this bad boy.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//5a/97/5a97d7c9097dd4dd7066dd096d8a57cf.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//25/7b/257b2118b1918890e9f73b7884ab3f84.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//f0/70/f070b98a8a9ec7660579d3a628383ba4.jpg" /> These are not designed for human beings to ride on, and this is what it looks like when you do it anyway: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LcB2T-aTmTw" width="640"></iframe> At around the 22 second mark, notice how the ride gets A LOT steeper, resulting in my "I'm smiling but kind of terrified" face.  Here are some pics from when we got midway to the top.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//60/90/60901307265d70d786476108df80791f.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//bc/73/bc73ad0d10a526eb0f3dfce63377ab7c.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//4f/1f/4f1fdd41e75c40f4cf96e7927361dcc4.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//30/00/30006b0cecd94b167e311b4978f598ed.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//45/6a/456a234c7f4fd087a5f4b3481b1372da.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//1e/14/1e145adde51b45218b9c96c48dc38f98.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//db/f9/dbf96d32bd86a4b54b62eeee87e1f5d0.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//4f/90/4f90d2fe7bbe8a9cd98d8d86bccb7c32.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//44/30/4430bc15f9287732ca545fd8dc5ec79f.jpg" /> The majority of these vines are on their original <glossary title="869">rootstock</glossary><glossary title="869"> </glossary>and over 80 years old.  We then took a drive up to visit the Ellergrub site, which Gernot considers his finest vineyard. To get there, we had to navigate through this narrow path: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//06/30/063019868d7a1845b4c12282575cb3ec.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//71/cf/71cfbf2d9ea311cf6444b7fbaea5243a.jpg" /> At 1.4 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>, this is the biggest single vineyard of the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>. The soil here is the poorest, and the <glossary title="">yields</glossary> are very low, averaging 25 <glossary title="528">hl/ha</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//3b/94/3b9416a2912d47def4f6d45bd60504cb.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_05//a0/92/a092a78ed191aed97c4d0b3f48f9c803.jpg" />

producer profile 10.06.2019

Immich-Batterieberg Producer Profile

interview 10.06.2019

An Interview with Gernot Kollmann from 2013

producer visit 05.08.2019

This visit to Weingut Immich-Batterieberg took place in February, 2013