In the shadow of a fairytale castle, at elevations up to 530 meters above sea level, Helmut and Hedwig Dolde grow Silvaner, Pinots (Noir and Blanc), Riesling, and a few other varieties with integrity and care in some of the most exciting terroirs we have seen: Weiße Jura (aka marne blanche), some small plots of volcanic soils in and around the villages of Linsenhofen and Neuffen (which takes its name from the neighboring castle), and Braune Jura (on the promising and yet depressingly underutilized slopes around nearby Metzingen). They also make insane ciders from apples and black pears, and the purest wild fruit distillates we’ve ever tasted (Helmut’s uncle is a dab hand with a still)—and all from a tiny domaine not much larger than an average postage stamp. The region may locally be known as the Swabian Jura, but tasting in Dolde’s cellars tends to put us more in mind of the Sound of Music. These delicious drinks epitomize “mountain wines.” Pure as an alpine stream, they invigorate, refresh, and keep us coming back for more.
