‘Ode an die Heimat’ the back label of this new wine softly announces; an ode to the homeland of Trollinger and Lemberger, and to the rolling hills of Ulbach where the Kleines Gut vines grow. Daniel and Frederike started their project in 2020 with 3 hectares, simple methods, and a highly intuitive approach to farming. The winery is nestled on the outskirts of the small village. Winemaking runs deep here — many of the streets are named after grape varieties and during the harvest the wide and slowly winding routes through the vineyards are filled with both locals and visitors keen to soak up the last drops of autumn. The Kleines Gut cellar dates back to 1546 and has that tranquillity that only old stone and timeworn steps can command. Filled with wooden barrels and a single amphora, this is where the wines ferment and age. Schwabenmagnum ’22 is a wine that encapsulates the identity of Swabia and gives this traditional blend a new lease of life. Trollinger and Lemberger, autochthonous varieties, have long been combined to produce table wine with a poor reputation in this part of Germany. Both varieties can give high yields which, harnessed by industrial methods, churn out large quantities of wine, often sold cheaply in litre bottles.
With a high regard for these grapes, Daniel and Frederike took a different approach. Mornings were spent harvesting while the afternoons were reserved for de-stemming in the garden, picking the individual berries carefully from their clusters into small buckets. After emptying 50/50 Trollinger and Lemberger into an amphora, the grapes were left to macerate for ten months. Come July, the wine was pressed into wooden barrels, and bottled at the beginning of September. An elegant wine that finds harmony between freshness and density, and with subtle tannins that give a satisfying length on the palate. Enjoy at 14°–16°.