Weingut Lanz lies on the Bavarian shores of Lake Constance, a pre-Alpine area and one of the coolest wine-growing regions in Germany. This is where Benni Lanz grew up, on an estate that has been managed organically since 1994. The vines grow on south-facing slopes, where their location gives them the benefit of both wind and water. Föhn winds, flowing across the lake from the southern Alpine regions, warm the vineyards, while the lake acts as a moderator to the shoreline sites. Benni cultivates around eight hectares, spread across multiple small parcels. At the vineyards further from the lake, night and day temperatures differ more radically, which supports steady ripening and retains freshness in the grapes, while those closer to the water experience fewer temperature fluctuations and are provided with a constant airflow. The vineyards each bear their own individual and nuanced characteristics, but for the most part are on gravelly, sandy soils with glacial moraine that recall the geological history of the region. The hills around the lake, elongated and smooth, are called drumlins, and were formed during the last Ice Age. Benni works exclusively with resilient grape varieties, including Souvignier Gris, Johanniter, and Solaris for the whites, and Pinotin and Cabertin for the reds. They have worked with PIWI varieties from the beginning, considering them ‘the best tool we have to farm responsibly and produce the quality we aim for’. Grape varieties that require less plant protection mean less synthetic chemicals, less spraying, and more time for the manual vineyard work that produces vigorous plants, healthy fruit, and high quality wines.
Bayerischer Bodensee Rot 2023 is fruit-driven, juicy, and vibrant; a medium bodied red with low tannins to enjoy lightly chilled in summer. The grapes, Pinotin and Cabertin, are rigorously sorted — selected by hand at the moment of picking, again on a sorting table in the vineyard, and for a third time when they reach the winery — a process which ensures that only the best fruit reaches the press. In 2023, 70% of the grapes were left as whole bunches, macerated cold for around eight days and pressed once the tannin extraction had reached the desired level. Fermentation was finished in 228 litre barriques, where the wine stayed on its full lees for 20 months before bottling with a minimal amount of sulfur. Bursting with blackcurrant notes and a touch of blackberry, this is a great wine to drink alongside grilled, red bell peppers, tahini, roasted hazelnuts, and anything with ras el hanout.