HESSIGHEIM: Episode Three

By Frank Ebbinghaus - last revision: 08.06.26

Hessigheim is a unique wine-growing commune with great prospects for the future, but also its share of risks. Hessigheim’s greatest assets are the two Ts: talent and terroir. Young, up-and-coming winemakers are already producing wines from the stony shell limestone soils that can hold their own against any competition - not just within Germany! If they continue resolutely along this path, then Hessigheim could emerge as a new, highly regarded and widely renowned stronghold of Württemberg wine.

This presupposes that the leading estates become more visible outside the region, that their wines are listed in trendy wine bars and top restaurants, and above all, that they are actually drunk there. That’s a real challenge in times of multiple crises. Especially as the Hessigheim wineries are not in a position to make a sudden leap in their marketing. Speaking with the winegrowers, I got the impression that a certain kind of contentment has set in: Hessigheim lies on the edge of a German economic hub that remains very prosperous despite the crisis, and therefore Hessigheim benefits from a weekend influx of daytrippers from the greater Stuttgart area. Direct sales from the wineries are therefore flourishing. As pleasing as this is for the winemakers, it’s not just tourism, but also the appreciation of merchants, wine lovers and sommeliers that must be the yardstick for their success. Anyone aiming for the top needs a critical benchmark oustide their core fans against which to measure themselves, and through which they can also grow.

The fact that the Lassak winery has gained national recognition and esteem should serve as both an encouragement and an incentive to the other winegrowers. One would hope that the ExNicrum winery would use its unique position as an investor-backed and therefore financially sound business to also aim for the top in terms of qualit. It would be important for Hessigheim if the owners were to recognise this possibility, and their responsibility in this regard.

However, Hessigheim’s future as a wine-growing village also depends on the development of the Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim winegrowers’ cooperative. It is to be hoped that Sebastian Häußer’s concept proves successful and that the cooperative stabilises economically with solid to better quality. For, as welcome as it is that winegrowers can lease or purchase prime plots on the steep slopes of Hessigheim’s Wurmberg or Besigheim’s Käsberg, without the cooperative members these magnificent vineyards could not be cultivated. The handful of Hessigheim winegrowers would be powerless against the rapid abandonment of the steep, terraced sites that would then ensue. That would be disastrous for everyone.

67 wines tasted, eleven wines scoring 95 points or more.

END OF THE VERSION AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ONLY FOR PAYING SUBSCRIBERS

TRIAL MONTH has been extended for a few days and ALL CONTENT IS FREE, but that will end in some days time!

The 2025 vintage wines from the Eisele Winery will not be bottled until 2027 and are therefore described, but not rated. Weinfactum is the premium brand of the Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim, associated with a wine shop in Stuttgart Bad Cannstatt

SPARKLING WINE

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim  Württemberg  Rosé Crémant la Roche Sekt Brut  2019 – 13% / Delicate strawberry nose, ripe, yellow-fruity aromas, delicately creamy; the acidity comes across as somewhat sharp after the sweet, slightly exotic opening. Fresh, somewhat rustic, but good. 87 (FE)

Rubens Wein  Württemberg  Secco Rosé trocken  2025 – 11.5% / The residual sweetness (16 grams of residual sugar) underlines the exotic aromas and good body. Juicy, with just enough freshness. 83 (FE)

DRY RIESLING

Dautel  Württemberg  Riesling  Besigheimer Wurmberg EL  2024 - 12.5% / Still a bit pungently youthful, lemon zest, wet-stone, then a hint of sweet fruit appears briefly before the tannins take over, then a fine mineral finish. 93

Eisele  Württemberg  Riesling  Silberkapsel  2024 - 11% / Slightly lactic on the nose, wet chalk, spice, yellow fruit. On the palate, austere but refined, subtle spice and some yellow fruit. Very long finish with chalky minerality. 93 (FE) 

Eisele  Württemberg  Riesling  Goldkapsel  2024 - 11.5% / Subtle spice and yellow fruit, very refined. Great ripeness, juicy, yet austere at the same time; very well balanced, very long. 95 (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Riesling  Hessigheim Silberkapsel  2025 - 11% / Ripeand delicate orange aroma, chalk, lemon balm, a fresh note, chalk again, very delicate, saltyfinish. Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Riesling  Kalkgraben  Goldkapsel 2025 - 11.5% / The name says it all! Kalkgraben means chalk pit in english. Chalky minerality purrs like a Swiss watch across the palate. Barely any fruit, austere yet completely effortless and superbly balanced. Very long. From 60-year-old vines. Great potential! Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Riesling  Schelmen Goldkapsel  2025 – 12% / Pomelo, chalk, lemon balm and beeswax on the nose; on the palate, brilliant acidity (pH 3–3.1) that’s superbly integrated. Juicy and powerful with a delicately phenolic and chalky finish. Great potential! Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Riesling  Hambach Goldkapsel  2025 – 11.5% / A hint of beeswax, delicate yellow fruit in the background, ethereal, finesse, oyster shell, subtle sweetness on the palate, good grip, austere, lovely long mineral finish. Excellent potential. Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Riesling  Tradition  2025 - 11.5% / Blackcurrant, gooseberry, also a hint of peach, lovely freshness and balance, not very mineral. 86 (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Riesling  trocken 2024 - 11.5% / A stunning entry-level wine! The youthful nose already hints at lime, with a touch of sweetness and ripe orange, then citrusy, ethereal and vibrant on the palate. Delicate, very fine bitterness and caressing acidity. 93 (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Riesling  Hambach trocken  2024 – 12.5% / Enormously layered and complex, with remarkable tension and concentration, yet everything remains very delicate and in perfect balance. Although there is so still much to unfold, the wine already tastes irresistible today, dancing on your palate. Breathtaking! 99 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Riesling  Muschelkalk  2024 - 11.5% / Chalk, peach , positively herbaceous, lemon balm, delicate sweetness, apricot, lovely acidity, citrus and a hint of peach, delicately creamy, bone dry finish. 92 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Riesling  Hambach  2023 - 12% / Yellow fruit, plenty of chalk, herbs, brown earth warmed by the sun, apricot, very complex, the warmer vintage is evident. Slightly medicinal, yet very fine. Great freshness and balance. Bone dry, intensely chalky finnish. 94 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Riesling  Hambach  2020 - 12% / Excellent maturation, smells extremely mineral, becoming ever finer with aeration, chalk and very delicate peach notes; very complex. Very delicate floral and herbal notes, incredible mineral acidity, yet always remaining on the very delicate and elegant side. 96 (FE)

RIESLING WITH GRAPE SWEETNESS

Siggi  Württemberg  Riesling  Katzenöhrle Kabinett  2025 – 7.5% / Any Mosel winemaker could be proud of these analytical figures (just 25 grams of residual sugar plus 9 grams of acidity). Peach, honeysuckle, apricot, delicately creamy. Very lovely acidity. Eefined and marked by chalky minerality, 93 (FE).

Siggi  Württemberg  Riesling  Hambach Auslese  2025 – ??% / Harvested at 120 degrees Oechsle with 20–30 per cent botrytis and 10.5–11 per mille acidity. Very fine, dense nose, apricot and grapefruit, just a hint of floral honey, but wonderful freshness, very fine, strong mineral character. Great balance! 97 (FE)

CHARDONNAY

Dautel  Württemberg  Chardonnay  Besigheimer Niedernberg EL  2024 - ??%. Behind the generous oak, great finesse is already evident, with citrus and yellow stone fruits, plus a certain warmth. Still very much in its infancy. 94 (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Chardonnay  Muschelkalk Goldkapsel (Hambach)  2025 - 12.5% / Fermented entirely in wood, then transferred to stainless steelin January, where the wine remains until bottling. Some OAK on the nose. Delicately creamy, austere, plenty of chalk, still somewhat lactic, but this dissipates with aeration. Very long. Great potential!  Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Rubens Wein  Württemberg  Chardonnay  trocken  2024 – 13.5% / Delicate oak, yellow fruit, apricot, pineapple, thoroughly refined and fresh despite its power. Could be a little longer. 92 (FE)

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Eisele  Württemberg  Sauvignon Blanc  Hessigheim Silberkapsel  2025 - 12% / Still smells somewhat of fermentation. Austere, with yellow fruits and peach on aeration, somewhat closed. Herbs and fruit lurk in the background. Delicate, mineral, chalky. Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

WEISSBURGUNDER

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Weißburgunder Tradition trocken 2025 - 12.5% Primary fruit notes of pear, nut, gummy bears and some yellow fruit, pleasant freshness, quite refined, but also slightly dull. 86 (FE)

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Weißburgunder  Mineral trocken  2025 - 12.5% / Concentrated aroma of pear and apricot, very fresh, full-bodied, delicate, almost a hint of citrus on the finish, delicately creamy, elegant, delicate, not much density. 88 (FE)

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim  Württemberg  Weißburgunder  ** Weinfactum trocken  2025 - 14% / Sweet pears, somewhat full-bodied, yet remains fresh and typical of the variety. 85 (FE)

DRY PINOT GRIS

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Pinot Gris  Tradition 2025 - 12.5% / Some yellow plum, light, good freshness, very straightforward. 84 (FE)

DRY ALBARINO

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Albarino 2025 - 12.5% / Cassis aroma. White blossoms, delicate character, some tannin, elegant, refined, green leaves, balanced and quite refined. 89 (FE)

ORANGE MUSKATELLER

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim  Württemberg  Travertin Orange Réserve  Weinfactum 2024 - 14% / Pale yellow and cloudy, this Muscat that was fermented for a week on the skins. Explosive nose with peach melba and passion fruit. On the palate, lots of fruit, fresh, slightly bitter. Somewhat one-dimensional. Bottled unfiltered. 87 (FE)

DRY SILVANER

Siggi  Württemberg  Silvaner  Galgenberg  2024 - 12% / Very delicate nose with pear and herbs, also very lively on the palate, herbs, fresh, slightly chalky, medicinal. Warm, full-bodied, delicate, very long finish. 95 (FE)

DRY WHITE CUVÉES

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Grand Cuvée Blanc  2024 - 12.5% / Very delicate on the nose, a hint of nut and peach; full-bodied, textured and creamy on the palate with little fruit, yet the delicacy is not lost. A cuvée of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc. 89 (FE)

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim  Württemberg  Blanc de Blancs Edition Junge Cuveeschmiede halbtrocken 2024 - 11% / Clean blackcurrant and peach fruit dominate. Everything remains fresh and light. Not exactly deep or complex. A cuvée of Muscat, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. 83 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Armer Konrad  2020 - 12% / Blackcurrant, very delicate oxidative notes (the wine is unsulphured and unfiltered), everything refined and elegant. The limestone character comes through more and more, plus some yellow fruit notes. Made from 50-year-old Müller-Thurgau and Kerner vines. 92 (FE)

LEMBERGER REDS

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Silberkapsel  2023 - ??% / Still a bit pungent, but lovely sweetness on the nose. Delicate fruit, very mineral, austere but not taxing, fine tannins, the fruit currently somewhat in the background. 92 (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Muschelkalk Goldkapsel  2023 - 12.5% / Delicate aroma, chalk, sour cherry, delicately sweet fruit, redcurrants, delicate chalky finish, lovely, structuring tannins. 95 (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Gipskeuper Goldkapsel  2023 - 12.5% / Beetroot, redcurrant, delicate sweet creaminess, juiciness and freshness, creamy tannins, 93 (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Hessigheim Silberkapsel  2025 – 12% / Slightly reductive. Sweet raspberry, very fresh, austere, very well-balanced, delicate. The excellent quality of the tannins is striking.  Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Hambach Goldkapsel  2025 - ??% / Aroma of cherries, but delicate, very cool, complex with a hint of raspberry. On the palate, cherry and a touch of plum, austere yet full of juicy cherry, with a very delicate finish. Will not be bottled until 28 June. Great potential!  Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Silberhälde Goldkapsel  2025 - ??% / The grapes grow at an altitude of 290 metres above those of the Hambach and you can tell. Citrusy, complex, has plenty of drive, very clear fruit, very austere but without that disrupting the excellent balance, which is also down to the wonderfully ripe tannin structure. Great potential!  Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Lemberger  Wagrain Goldkapsel  2025 - ??% / Orange, cherry, very delicate, also slightly spicy, followed by cherry fruit without any touch of sweetness, white pepper, very fine tannins. Great potential! Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Lemberger  2022 - 13% / Blueberry and wet, warm stone, warmth, quite a mature style. Cherry, blueberry, cranberry, a touch of ripe vanilla, but the tannins hold everything together very well. 92 (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Lemberger  trocken 2024 - 12% / A spectacular nose with cherry, cassis, ripe citrus freshness, cranberry, white pepper. Great finesse and freshness, very delicate black cherry, just a hint of percieved sweetness on the palate, then a very elegant and refined finish. 95 (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Lemberger  Steige trocken  2024 - 12% / A sweet, delicate nose with cherry, white pepper, slightly spicy, very complex, needs plenty of air. Enormous depth on the palate, sweet cherry but without sweetness, very delicate and wonderfully fresh thanks also to the fine, creamy tannins. A monument to Lemberger elegance! 96 (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Lemberger  Wurmberg trocken  2024 - 12% / The Lemberger monarch enters the room, and all goes quiet. One is almost dazzled by the nobility, finesse and elegance (sadly, only 360 bottles produced). 97 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Lemberger  Gipskeuper  2021 - 12% / Cherry, plum, beetroot, raw meat, iron (you can taste the very iron-rich soil), delicate woody spice, chalk. Very fresh, almost crisp; the creamy tannins ensure effortless balance at the long, mineral finish. 94 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Lemberger  Muschelkalk  2020 - 12.5% / You taste the limestone immediately, delicate, balsamic, only then do cherry and plum emerge, also blood and a hint of Mon Cherie, but it remains cool and delicate. 94 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Lemberger  Wurmberg  2022 - 12.5% / The great depth is already evident on the nose. Cherry, beetroot, a touch of sweetness, redcurrants; fresh on the palate, with bite and a hint of chalk, developing tremendous length. The first vintage following the grafting of old Trollinger vines with vine buds from Burgenland. 95 (FE)

SPÄTBURGUNDER / PINOT NOIR REDS

Eisele  Württemberg  Spätburgunder  Goldkapsel 2023 - 13% / A hint of damp wood, sweet cherry fruit, very refined, develops on the palate. Slender and elegant. From the Dijon clone 777. 94 (FE)

Herzog von Württemberg  Württemberg  Spätburgunder  Käsberg Großes Gewächs  2019 - 12.5% / Strange brick-red colour, smells quite oxidative, then worn on the palate, lifeless sweetness and acidity – a bad bottle? No rating (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Spätburgunder  trocken  2024 - 12% / Delicate spice, sweet cherry, also slightly citrusy – very fine, soft tannins, lovely freshness, concentrated, very elegant. Due to severe frost damage, Lassak did not produce a single-vineyard Pinot Noir in this vintage. It all (a yield of just eight hectolitres per hectare!) went into this wine. Great future. 95

Rubens Wein  Württemberg Pinot Noir. 2024 – 13% /  Very ripe aromas of cherry, strawberry plus a hint of rosehip. Wood, but also very good tannins. In spite of the very ripe style nevertheless dry with depth. This opulence isn’t really my thing, but the wine is very well made and harmonious. 90 (FE)

SYRAH REDS

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Syrah  trocken  2023 - 12.5% / Black earth, blood, subtle oak, white pepper, ripe black cherry without sweetness, also red berries and a hint of rum-soaked fruit without sweetness, iron, raw meat. This has power, yet remains elegant, very lovely fresh acidity. Has class! 93 (FE)

Herzog von Württemberg  Württemberg  Syrah  trocken  2022 - 13% / Wood, wood, wood – of some quality, but very dominant. Yet the wine comes across as thoroughly fresh, elegant and mineral, with a relatively long finish. But will it ever get over all that wood? 90 (FE)

SANGIOVESE REDS

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Sangiovese  2023 - 13.5% / On the nose beetroot, earth, a hint of raspberry, quite "sweet". On the palate: cornelian cherry and plum, a touch of marzipan, refined, elegant, long. 91 (FE)

TEMPRANILLO REDS

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Tempranillo 2023 - 13.5% / Delicate spice, red fruit, redcurrant, plum, cool and refined. Long finish. 93 (FE)

MERLOT REDS

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim  Württemberg  Merlot  Fels trocken  2023 / 12.5% - Somewhat diffuse bouquet with cassis, cherry. Somewhat tight on the palate, bitter, hardly any fruit, fiery, somewhat coarse in spite of the good tannins, bitter finish. 80 (FE)

TROLLINGER REDS

Herzog von Württemberg  Württemberg  Trollinger  Mundelsheimer Käsberg trocken 2024 - 12.5% / Not the usual, brownish pale colour, rather garnet red. Aromas of undergrowth and cranberries, slender fruit, slightly medicinal, nice freshness, delicate bitterness. 87 (FE)

Lassak  Württemberg  Trollinger  trocken 2024 - 11.5% / Initially smells of wood, then with aeration, rosehip and morello cherry come into play. Extremely refined and elegant with plenty of substance. Could pass for an outstanding Beaujolais. Wonderful freshness with plenty of drive. Shows what Trollinger is capable of when grown in a top vineyard and yields are reduced (here to 30 hectolitres per hectare). From 70-year-old vines in the Wurmberg. 94 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Trollinger  Muschelkalk  2022 - 11% / Redcurrant, herbs, plum, delicate, refined, yet with real substance. 91 (FE)

CABERNET FRANC REDS

Rubens Wein  Württemberg Cabernet Franc 2024 - 14% / Herbal nose, blueberry, lots of oak (100% new oak), sweetness, cassis, cherry, warmth, but also plenty of freshness, good structure. 91 (FE)

CABERNET SAUVIGNON REDS

Rubens Wein  Württemberg  Cabernet Sauvignon  2023 - 13.5% / Paprika, cassis, full-bodied, opulent, sweet, oak barrique casks. Very ripe and somewhat rich, very good tannins. Not my cup of tea, but well made. 89 (FE)

Siggi  Württemberg  Cabernet Sauvignon  Wurmberg  2020 - 13.5% / Blackcurrant and chalk on the nose. Fully ripe, yet refined, blackcurrant, redcurrants. No detectable oak. Despite ample tannins, everything remains refined and in balance. A hint of shell limestone on the finish. 94 (FE)

RED CUVÉES

Eisele  Württemberg  Adam Goldkapsel  2023 – 13% / Still slight youthful pungency on the nose. Delicate cherry notes, with some body, gentle, a hint of cassis, subtle limestone minerality, very long finish. 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. 94 (FE)

Eisele  Württemberg  Adam Goldkapsel 2025 - ??% / Broader, riper and juicier than the 2023 Adam, yet also very refined, with redcurrants, lovely tannins, firm and elegant. 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc.  Raw cask sample. ?? (FE)

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Cuvée Merle  2023 - 13.5% Delicate aromas of cherry, vanilla and spice. Herbs and cherry combine on the palate with lovely freshness. The tannins are already well integrated. Delicate. 91 (FE)

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Syrah & Marselan  2023 - 13.5% / A very lovely, ethereal nose of red and blue fruits; ethereal on the palate too, with very pleasant tannins. Slender, elegant, refined and complex. 93 (FE)

ExNicrum Weinmanufaktur  Württemberg  Grand Cuvee Rouge  2022 - 14% / Delicate sweetness, subtle oak, a hint of herbaceousness, red berries, plum, sweet creaminess, lovely freshness, very ripe tannins. Made from over 90% Cabernet Franc, the rest being Merlot and Sangiovese. Aged in new 500 liter tonneaux casks. 92 (FE)

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim  Württemberg  Rêve de Noir Edition Junge Cuveeschmiede  2023 - 13%. Blackberries, delicate, sweetish, slightly too much so, distinct residual sweetness on the mid-palate, spice, bitterness, very simple but smooth and well-made. A cuvée of Lemberger, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 81 (FE)

Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim Württemberg Himmelswerk Cuvée trocken NV - 14% / The nose is somewhat diffuse with notes of blackberry, cherry and raw meat. Liquorice on the palate, blackberry and black cherry too. Plenty of power, body and intensity, but also warm, the alcohol coming through slightly. Very good length; the tannins are also well-structured. However, the wine comes across as somewhat coarse and finishes very bitter. A cuvée of Lemberger, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best barrels from various vintages. 84 (FE)