Stodden Jean

Jean Stodden – The Red Wine Estate: Top-quality Ahr Valley Burgundies, now in its fifth generation

In the heart of the Ahr Valley, in the picturesque village of Rech, lies one of Germany’s most renowned red wine estates: the Jean Stodden Red Wine Estate. The roots of the Stodden family run deep into the region’s history – they have been 1578. However, the foundation for the estate’s current reputation was laid by Alois Stodden, who began pressing his Pinot Noir himself in 1900. His grandson, Gerhard Stodden, led the estate to the very top of the German wine scene from the mid-1970s onwards and is regarded as one of the great pioneers of this ‘royal’ grape variety. Since 2013, this legacy has been carried on by Alexander Stodden, representing the fifth generation.

The winery’s philosophy is clear and uncompromising: quality over quantity. Yields are consistently reduced right from the pruning stage, so that the vine’s full vigour is concentrated on a small number of, but perfectly developed, grapes. In summer, where necessary, a ‘green harvest’ takes place, during which excess grapes are removed. The autumn harvest is carried out exclusively by hand with the strictest selection. The grapes are destemmed and ferment on the mash for up to 24 days, which gives the wines their intense colour and fine tannins. They are then aged in oak barrels – the basic Pinot Noir in traditional 1,000-litre Fuder barrels, the ‘Große Gewächse’ in French barriques – until they have reached their full expressive potential.

Across around nine hectares of vineyards, situated predominantly on steep slate slopes such as the Bad Neuenahr Sonnenberg, the Ahrweiler Rosenthal or the Recher Herrenberg, 95 per cent of the vines are Pinot Noir. The estate has been a member of the VDP since 2005 and demonstrates its world-class standard with regular top ratings – such as 95+ Falstaff points for the Walporzheimer Kräuterberg Pinot Noir GG. The devastating floods in July 2021 hit the estate hard, destroying large parts of the cellar and wiping out wine stocks. Yet the Stodden family did not give up – with tireless dedication and the support of many helpers, the business was gradually rebuilt. With an annual production of around 45,000 bottles, Jean Stodden’s wines are now among the most sought-after Burgundies in Germany – a living testament to passion, tradition and unwavering determination.