Jean Stodden - Pinot Noir ALTE REBEN 2016

Jean Stodden – Pinot Noir ALTE REBEN 2016

General information

Origin & Winemaking

The grapes for the Spätburgunder Alte Reben come from the estate’s oldest ungrafted vines, which grow in the Grand Cru Recher Herrenberg – a south-facing, terraced steep-slope vineyard with a gradient of up to 60 per cent. Some of these vines were planted before 1940 and, with yields of no more than 25 hl/ha, produce extremely small, highly concentrated berries.

The Jean Stodden winery is run by Alexander Stodden, the fifth generation of the family, and cultivates just 7 hectares of vineyards, spread across 65 different plots – almost exclusively planted with Pinot Noir. The family can look back on over 400 years of winemaking tradition in the Ahr Valley.

The 2016 vintage was aged for 16 to 18 months in 100% new barriques; the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and was leftunfiltered before bottling .

Tasting notes

Falstaff (93 points)

“Herbs, sour cherry, vanilla, mocha, kirsch, Darjeeling, slatey, spicy notes. A palate with distinct extract-driven sweetness, plenty of juiciness, mineral undertones, extremely fine tannins, almost weightless in character, needs time.”

Lay & Wheeler

“The old-vine Pinot Noir is deep and smoky and so pure, with amazing texture and a wonderfully briny quality, too. This is so complex – it’s one of the greatest Pinots we know.”

Lobenberg (93–94/100)

“Dense, slightly smoky nose, dominated by dark, red forest berries. […] Deep, earthy, spicy notes, subtle oak, great harmony, yet also exuding plenty of depth. A spicy, almost racy palate with great dynamism, superb acidity and density, playing off the delicate fruit sweetness. […] An almost intoxicatingly beautiful, superb wine.”

Summary of aromas

On the nose, there are dark and red wild berries (wild strawberry, wild raspberry, blueberry, cassis, blackberry), sour cherry, kirsch, vanilla, mocha, herbs, as well as slate-like, spicy and slightly smoky notes. On the palate, the wine impresses with its great juiciness, mineral undertones, extremely fine tannins and an almost weightless texture, whilst simultaneouslydisplaying impressive density and dynamism.

Reviews (selection)

Drinking maturity & ageing potential

The 2016 Alte Reben is a wine with great ageing potential. The recommended drinking window begins around 2020 and extends to 2037. Due to its structure, density and fine tannins, the wine is considered to have further development potential of up to 20 years in the cellar. Currently (2026) , the wine is at its optimal drinking stage, but can certainly continue to mature.

Conclusion

The Jean Stodden Pinot Noir ALTE REBEN 2016 ranks among the great red wines of the vintage in Germany. It combines the power and concentration of old vines with the elegance and finesse that characterise top-quality Pinot Noirs. The combination of mineral-rich slate terroir, gentle winemaking and long barrique ageing results in a complex, profound wine that has received the highest international acclaim – it is not without reason that Lay & Wheeler describe it as “one of the greatest Pinots we know”.

For lovers of great German Pinot Noir, this wine is an absolute must – best enjoyed now or left to mature in the cellar for a few more years.