2015 Freiherr Von Gleichenstein Spätburgunder Hofgarten

Region: Baden< Germany

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic farming; loess-volcanic soils; aged in neutral older and larger barrels, with a kiss of newer oak;unfined/unfiltered with minimal So2 at bottling; 13.5% ABV; x cases

Winemaker: Johannes von Gleichenstein

Baden is Germany’s southernmost wine region, and the most volcanic, with the Kaiserstuhl (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Wiki_Kaiserstuhl.jpg) massif, the only large volcanic mass that rises like an island out of the Rhine. Much of Baden’s Pinot Noir arrived via some of the same Catholic monks who planted it in Burgundy.  First acquired by the von Gleichenstein family in 1634, the estate has been a multi-faceted farm for 11 generations. Current proprietors Baron and Baroness von Gleichenstein oversee their estate’s organic vineyards—all of which are planted to classic Burgundy -- no Riesling here – as they have stayed true to the region’s Burgundian roots. Plus, the Pinots (Noir + Gris) love this region’s combo of warmer climate and volcanic soil. 

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), from Germany is lean and elegant, leaning more towards Gamay than the jammy, fruit-forward Russian River PN style common in our neck of the woods.  This one tastes like a bowl of plump cherries with a leafy, herby edge and a bright jolt of acidity layered over a core of crushed rock minerality. The screwcap and under-$20 price tag add to the everyday charm of this wine – you can and should crush a bottle on a Tuesday night.