Jean Stodden
Summary
Jean Stodden is a seventh-generation family winery in Germany's Ahr Valley, cultivating 6.5 hectares of predominantly slate and greywacke vineyards focused primarily on Spätburgunder production from steep, south-facing sites. Their winemaking combines traditional methods with modern precision, emphasizing hand harvesting, reduced yields, open-top wooden fermentation vessels, and careful French oak aging to create structured, age-worthy Pinot Noirs that honor their historic terroir.
Heritage & Leadership
The Jean Stodden winery, situated in the village of Rech in Germany's Ahr Valley, traces its winemaking history back to 1578. The estate represents one of the oldest continuously family-operated wineries in this northerly German wine region. Now in its seventh generation of family ownership, Jean Stodden is led by Alexander Stodden, who took over from his father Gerhard in the early 2000s. Alexander completed his viticultural training at the prestigious Geisenheim University before returning to the family estate.
The winery weathered significant challenges during the devastating floods that struck the Ahr Valley in July 2021, which damaged much of the region's infrastructure. Despite these setbacks, the Stodden family has maintained their commitment to quality-focused viticulture in this challenging northern climate. Under Alexander's direction, the winery has expanded its international recognition while preserving the traditional focus on Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) that has defined the estate for generations.
Vineyards & Wines
Jean Stodden manages approximately 6.5 hectares of vineyards in the middle Ahr Valley, with holdings in several classified sites. Their most significant parcels lie in the steep, south-facing Recher Herrenberg and Ahrweiler Rosenthal vineyards. These sites feature predominantly slate and greywacke soils, which provide excellent drainage and heat retention—crucial factors for ripening Pinot Noir in this cool climate region.
The estate's plantings consist of approximately 90% Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), with the remainder dedicated to varieties such as Frühburgunder (Pinot Madeleine) and small amounts of white varieties. The vineyards are planted at high density with low-yielding clones, and many parcels contain vines exceeding 25 years of age. The steep slopes of their premier sites reach inclinations of up to 60% in some sections, necessitating manual vineyard work throughout the growing season.
The winery produces a tiered range of wines, from the entry-level "J.S." Spätburgunder to the single-vineyard GGs (Großes Gewächs) from sites like Recher Herrenberg. Their flagship wine, the Spätburgunder "Alte Reben" (old vines), comes from parcels with vines averaging over 50 years of age and represents the estate's most concentrated expression of Ahr Pinot Noir.
Philosophy & Practice
At Jean Stodden, vineyard management emphasizes reduced yields through strict pruning and green harvesting to achieve optimal ripeness in their cool climate. Harvest is conducted entirely by hand, with multiple passes through the vineyards to ensure only perfectly ripe fruit is selected. In the cellar, Alexander Stodden employs traditional winemaking techniques with modern precision.
For their red wines, fermentation occurs in open-top wooden vats with temperature control. Maceration periods vary by wine tier, with their top cuvées seeing extended skin contact to extract appropriate structure and depth. The wines undergo malolactic fermentation and aging in French oak barrels, with new oak percentages carefully calibrated to the wine's intensity—ranging from 20% for the estate wine to up to 100% for the premium bottlings.
The Stodden approach to winemaking balances respect for tradition with technical precision. Extended bottle aging before release allows their structured Spätburgunders to integrate and develop complexity. The estate practices sustainable viticulture with minimal intervention, focusing on soil health and biodiversity in the vineyards. This meticulous attention throughout the production process has established Jean Stodden as a benchmark producer of German Pinot Noir, demonstrating the Ahr Valley's capacity to produce structured, age-worthy expressions of this variety despite its northerly location.