Helmut Dolde's 'Da Steppt der Bär'
Helmut picking berries. Photo credit: Dieter Ruoff
Helmut Dolde is a true alpine purist. Aided by his background as a former scientist and biochemistry teacher, Helmut cares for his 2.5 hectares of vines as naturally as possible and constantly experiments with different soil and biodegradable land treatments. Helmut, his wife Hedwig, and their four grown children call the tiny village of Linsenhofen in the Swabian Alps their home. Loosely translating to ‘nurturing mountain,’ the Schwäbische Alb is ideal for cool-climate grapes including Silvaner, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Weissburgunder.
Located in the Jura mountains in Württemberg, Dolde's vineyards are some of the highest in all of Germany, rising over 1,600 feet above sea level. Helmut’s rows of vines are located at the base of a mountain, atop which sits the medieval Hohenneuffen Castle built in 1100. Most of the Dolde’s high altitude vines are planted to various limestone marl formed by calcareous marine deposits, similar to soils found in Jura, France.
Helmut’s wines are liquid expressions of the high altitude environment. His 2020 Helmut Dolde ‘Da Steppt der Bär’ Pét-Nat is as invigorating and refreshing as a cold running mountain stream. Literally translating to ‘the bear dances there,’ the phrase is an idiom for ‘it will be a good party,’ and indeed it will be with this delicious sparkling wine! The cuvée is mostly Silvaner with 10% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), which are hand-harvested from a combination of young and old vines that undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeast and, as is typical of Ancestral Method, fermentation finishes off in bottle. The wine is unfined, unfiltered, and has no additional SO2, so its hazy lees linger in bottle, imparting a full-bodied, rich texture. There’s almost a tangy, cheesy aroma, alongside flavors of ripe pineapple and lemon crumb muffins, and the bubbles make this crisp mountain wine oh so sunny and refreshing!
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A mere 3.5 hours north of Helmut’s land is the Ahr wine region of Germany, which has been destroyed by recent flooding and devastated winemaking families' livelihood. Stay informed and show your support by reading this recent article and following #solidAHRität on Instagram.
Helmut’s vines in the shadows of the medieval Hohenneuffen Castle, built in 1100. Photo credit: Jake Lindeman for Super Glou