Domaine Kohll-Leuck in Ehnen – Passion in Teamwork

by Kachen Magazine 16/08/2021

16/08/2021

Luc Kohll and his brother-in- law Claude Scheuren share the tasks in the well-organised family business that offers excellent Crus from the vineyards around Ehnen.

The vineyard Kohll-Leuck is a prime example for the fluent transition from one generation to the next in a family-owned winegrowing business. “I’ve always got on well with my dad, also because he’s very open to new ideas and working methods,” Luc Kohll says happily. In 2002 at the age of 24, he took over the responsibility of the family business; the parents continued to stay on full time.

At 18, Luc decided to discontinue his business studies and instead started a three-year winegrowing traineeship in the Trier state domaines. There, he learnt “all the practical aspects of winegrowing and winemaking.” Following on from that, Luc spent a few months in his parents’ business so that the luxuriant 1999 vintage was the first that he vinified with his father. The young man then completed his theoretical training at the technical college in Bad Kreuznach with a degree as viticulture technician.

As natural as the transition of the business between Luc and Raymond went, as harmonious was Claude Scheuren able to integrate into the vineyard Kohll-Leuck. The 47-year-old is married to Luc’s sister Sandy but does not come from a winegrowing family. As a young man, the trained EDV software engineer regularly helped with the harvest and, over time, developed a real interest in viniculture. “I started looking after different aspects of the management until I accepted a part-time position in the business,” Claude explains. In the end, it felt “completely natural” that Raymond Kohll offered his son-in-law a full position in 2007. In order to prepare for the exciting but technically challenging tasks, the new winegrower took evening courses in viniculture in Trier and marketing training with the chamber of commerce.

Luc is delighted that his parents continue to participate in the business. His mother Marie-Cécile is responsible for the vineyard’s quality control in the grape harvest, his father Raymond loves to work with machines. “He still enjoys delivering wines, because contact with custom- ers is very important to him,” Luc Kohll says. Together, they often sample the young wines that are created in the cellar, “for the exchange with others facilitates new insights and ideas.” Luc also ascribes importance to “sampling many wines from abroad because you always learn more and can more easily classify your own wines and maybe develop new products.”

The two “Symbiose” wines of Domaine Kohll-Leuck are the result of such thinking: “Symbiose Blanc” is a Cuvée from Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris, while “Symbiose Rosé” is made of Pinot noir, Pinot gris (de gris) and Pinot blanc. “Fact is, some new customers are not interested in wines from classic grape varieties, rather, they prefer assemblages with woody notes: trend wines for an international client base that has established itself in Luxembourg,” so Claude Scheuren.

These two Cuvées fit neatly into the excellent products on offer at the vineyard. The twelve-hectare growing area is spread over the best locations around Ehnen: Wousselt, Rousemen, Kelterberg (Brômelt), Ehnerberg. One of the special Crus of the house are the “Riesling 1947 Wousselt, les Terrasses”, made from very old grapevines, the Charta wines (Riesling and Pinot gris), various sweet wines, and the Crémant variety Grande Cuvée that is mainly made from Chardonnay. A future highlight is the Pinot noir Kelterberg 2018, that, like the Cuvée “Symbiose Blanc”, received a gold medal at the competition Mundus Vini 2021. The Pinot will, however, only be available from November 2021. In addition, the family business is preparing the introduction of a Crémant Millésimé 2014.

The wines and Crémants of Domaine Kohll-Leuck can be sampled in the new, smart wine tavern in Ehnen that opened in 2018.