Odinstal "MMXVII" Sekt Brut Nature, Pfalz, Germany 2018

FROM PORTOVINO:

THE PRODUCER: Odinstal is the Pfalz outlier, a leading biodynamic winery and grand cru monopole*, all nestled in a raised valley that lies on the edge of an extinct volcano. The old German name of Odinstal, Odensthal, means ‘Valley of Odes,’ and there’s a growing chorus of wine lovers, both natural and fine, that have good reason to be singing odes to Odinstal.

The Pfalz’s most famous vineyards and producers lie in the northern part of the Pfalz called Mittelhaardt; the southern part of the Mittelhaardt is between the towns of Wachenheim in the north and Forst and Deidesheim in the south. Between these towns are where you’ll find the typical well-manicured German vineyards. Instead, a few kilometers west of Wachenheim, Odinstal’s terraced vineyards are found at the end of a dirt road that climbs 350 meters to a 19th century manor house and cellar. They remain rustic in nature. With a view of the upper Rhine plain on the horizon, we are standing in the Pfalz’s highest vineyards. It’s easy to see why this is a grand cru monopole, but it is also solemn place, with nature intact. On a recent walk around the vineyards and surrounding woods, we found chunks of black volcanic basalt, and sun-bleached antlers.

The winery has passed through a few families over the centuries, but eventually Thomas and Ute Hensel bought the estate in 1998 to make a winery and home there. The first vintage with the Odinstal label was in 2004. Originally, the house belonged to the mayor of Wachenheim, Johann Ludwig Wolf. Being the mayor in the 19th century had its benefits, and Johann was keenly interested in the Odinstal’s special soils for growing his garden vegetables