Weingut Dautel 'Bonnigheim' Sonnenberg Chardonnay, Wurttemberg, Germany

Lemon, ripe stone fruit, and crushed stone emerge with subtle smoke, savory herbs, and restrained oak. 2023 Weingut Dautel Bönnigheim Sonnenberg Chardonnay comes from the gypsum-rich Keuper soils of the Bönnigheimer Sonnenberg VDP. ERSTE LAGE, where selectively harvested Chardonnay is spontaneously fermented and given an extended élevage in used tonneaux and stainless steel. The result reflects the Dautel family’s longstanding willingness to look beyond regional convention while maintaining a precise connection to Württemberg’s distinctive geology.

Product Details:

• Owner: Christian Dautel
• Cellar Masters: Christian Dautel and Ernst Dautel
• Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
• Farming: Nature-oriented vineyard management with natural cover crops, beneficial organisms, organic fertilization, and selective hand harvesting
• Vineyard Source: Bönnigheimer Sonnenberg, VDP.ERSTE LAGE
• Soil: Gipskeuper, gypsum-bearing Keuper
• Aspect: Southeast
• Harvest Method: Selectively hand harvested
• Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation
• Aging: 12 months on full lees in used 300-liter tonneaux followed by 6 months in stainless steel
• Lees Aging: 12 months on full lees in tonneaux followed by additional lees aging in stainless steel
• Filtration: Bottled unfiltered
• Residual Sugar: 0.7 g/L
• TA: 5.9 g/L
• ABV: 12.5%
• Closure: Natural cork

Sensory Description:

Fresh lemon and ripe stone fruit lead into pear, subtle tropical fruit, wet stone, and a restrained smoky reduction. The palate is full yet energetic, with a silky, finely phenolic texture carried by fresh acidity and pronounced mineral grip. Used tonneaux contribute gentle toast and breadth without obscuring the fruit, while savory herbal and stony notes add complexity through the mid-palate. The finish is dry, persistent, and mouthwatering, balancing ripe fruit and lees-derived texture with a distinctly mineral frame.

Awards & Accolades:

• Score: Wine Advocate 94 Points, 2025
• Score: Falstaff 94 Points, 2025

Winemaker's Background:

The Dautel family’s winegrowing history in Bönnigheim extends back centuries, while the modern independent estate took shape in 1978 when Ernst and Hannelore Dautel established their own winery outside the local cooperative. Ernst became an early advocate for small-barrel maturation in Württemberg and was also among the regional pioneers working seriously with Chardonnay. Their son Christian Dautel now owns the estate and shares cellar-master responsibilities with Ernst. After studying at Geisenheim and Bordeaux, Christian gained experience with producers in several countries, including Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Burgundy, before bringing those perspectives back to the family vineyards. Today, Dautel works approximately 19 hectares across limestone and Keuper-derived sites, combining intensive vineyard work, selective hand harvesting, spontaneous fermentation, and measured cellar intervention. Sonnenberg Chardonnay demonstrates that approach particularly clearly, using extended lees aging and restrained oak to frame rather than obscure the character of its gypsum-rich site.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve at 10 to 13°C in a Burgundy-style white wine glass, with a brief period of air when young to reveal its stone-fruit, savory, and mineral detail. Pair with roast veal, pork, poultry in cream-based sauces, turbot, lobster, scallops, mushroom dishes, Parmesan-led pasta, or risotto. Its combination of acidity, fine tannin, lees texture, and mineral structure also gives it the framework for further development in the bottle.