Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier

The Battenfeld-Spanier estate was created in 1998 when H.O. Spanier, after training in viticulture and oenology, took over a small inherited Mölsheim vineyard and began assembling parcels of the surrounding Wonnegau limestone slopes. He converted the property to biodynamic farming in the early 2000s, receiving Respekt-BIODYN certification in 2005, the year he also married Carolin Gillot of the historic Kühling-Gillot estate in Bodenheim on the Roter Hang. The two estates have been jointly directed by H.O. Spanier since, with Battenfeld-Spanier focused on the limestone Wonnegau and Kühling-Gillot focused on the Rotliegend slate of the Roter Hang. H.O. Spanier is widely cited as one of the most influential winemakers of the modern Rheinhessen quality revolution.

• Estate created in 1998 by H.O. Spanier in Hohen-Sülzen, southern Wonnegau
• Converted to biodynamic farming in the early 2000s; Respekt-BIODYN certified since 2005
• Married Carolin Gillot (Kühling-Gillot, Bodenheim) in 2005; the two estates have been jointly directed since
• Widely cited as one of the most influential figures in the modern Rheinhessen quality revolution

Battenfeld-Spanier farms approximately 38 hectares across the southern Wonnegau, with vineyards concentrated in Hohen-Sülzen, Mölsheim, Niefernheim-Zellertal, and surrounding villages. The defining soils are pure Kalkmergel (calcareous marl) and Muschelkalk (shell limestone), with chalk, marl, and limestone-loam variants producing the textural, mineral-driven Rieslings the estate is known for. Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott (often shortened to 'Am Schwarzen Herrgott') is a steep limestone parcel that has become one of the most discussed Grosse Lage sites of the southern Wonnegau. The Frauenberg, on the border between Pfalz and Rheinhessen, is shared with neighbors and considered one of the great limestone Riesling sites of southern Germany.

• Approximately 38 hectares across Hohen-Sülzen, Mölsheim, Niefernheim-Zellertal, and surrounding southern Wonnegau villages
• Defining soils: Kalkmergel (calcareous marl), Muschelkalk (shell limestone), chalk, and limestone-loam
• Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott Grosse Lage is a flagship steep limestone site
• Frauenberg, on the Pfalz/Rheinhessen border, is considered one of southern Germany's great limestone Riesling sites

H.O. Spanier was a founding member of Respekt-BIODYN, the German-language biodynamic certification body, and the estate has been certified biodynamic since 2005. Vineyard work emphasizes living soils, herbal teas and preparations, cover crops, and the use of horn manure and horn silica preparations on the limestone soils. The combination of limestone parent material and biodynamic practice is central to the estate's identity, and Spanier has spoken publicly about the way biodynamic preparations support soil microbiology in the active limestone parent rock of the Wonnegau. Yields in the Grosse Lage parcels are kept low.

• H.O. Spanier was a founding member of Respekt-BIODYN biodynamic certification body
• Estate certified biodynamic since 2005
• Vineyard work: living soils, herbal teas, cover crops, horn manure and horn silica preparations on limestone parent material
• Low yields in Grosse Lage parcels; the combination of limestone and biodynamic practice is central to the estate's identity

Cellar work emphasizes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, long aging on the fine lees, and minimal manipulation. Dry Rieslings ferment in large old oak Stückfass (typically 1,200 to 2,400 liters) and stainless steel, with extended lees contact before bottling. The house style favors structure, salinity, and mineral tension over up-front fruit, with the Wonnegau limestone producing wines that often need several years in bottle to open. The Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott GG is among the most distinctive limestone Rieslings in Germany, with a recognizable spicy salinity and herbal complexity that have made it a critical favorite.

• Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in large old oak Stückfass and stainless steel
• Extended lees aging before bottling
• House style favors structure, salinity, and mineral tension over up-front fruit
• Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott GG: among the most distinctive limestone Rieslings in Germany

The Battenfeld-Spanier range runs from estate Riesling through Ortswein, Erste Lage parcels, and Grosses Gewächs from Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott, Hohen-Sülzener Kirchenstück, Frauenberg, and Kreuzberg. Spätburgunder and Weissburgunder are produced in smaller quantities from limestone parcels. The estate is run jointly with Kühling-Gillot, with shared cellar facilities in Bodenheim and shared marketing under the Spanier-Gillot family umbrella, even as the two estates maintain distinct identities (limestone Wonnegau for Battenfeld-Spanier, Rotliegend Roter Hang for Kühling-Gillot). The dual-estate model has become one of the more discussed modern German wine arrangements.

• Riesling hierarchy from estate through Ortswein to Grosses Gewächs
• GG flagships: Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott, Hohen-Sülzener Kirchenstück, Frauenberg, Kreuzberg
• Smaller production of Spätburgunder and Weissburgunder from limestone parcels
• Jointly directed with Kühling-Gillot (Bodenheim, Roter Hang) since 2005 marriage of H.O. Spanier and Carolin Gillot