In the village of Rech, nestled into the Ahr valley just south of Bonn, lies one of the best producers of Pinot Noir in Germany. Jean Stodden has been growing wine since 1578, though they`ve only had their own winery since 1900. Alexander Stodden is the current generation and had some interesting observations. This part of Germany, west of the Rhein was subject to Napoleonic inheritance laws, so vineyard holdings are as fragmented as in Burgundy. Stodden`s smallest plot is 12 square metres. Farming is sustainable - as organic as possible and no herbicides or insecticieds are used. In the winery Alexander exploits the seeds for tannin - something I`ve heard a few times in Germany. Additionally he racks the wines every three months as he strongly believes that Pinot Noir should be raised oxidatively and not reductively. Tasting the wines on a regular basis convinces me that he knows what he`s talking about. (CW 21/06/18)