Why You Should Explore The World Of German Pinot Noir Wines

Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir wines in the world. With 29,000 acres of vineyards devoted to Pinot Noir, it is behind only the US (62,500 acres) and France (80,000 acres) and comfortably ahead of up and coming Pinot Noir producing countries like Chile and New Zealand.

Much of Germany’s Pinot Noir production is consumed domestically, so little is exported. That’s unfortunate, since Germany offers the most diverse soil types of any Pinot Noir producing region, and an array of indigenous Pinot Noir clones mostly available only in Germany.

Recently, I sat down with Romana Echensperger, MW, one of Germany’s leading authorities on Pinot Noir. Romana is a Master of Wine (2015), and previously worked as a sommelier in several of Germany’s leading restaurants. Currently, she works as a wine educator and international consultant and frequently writes about German wines.

JM: Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder in the world, and the grape variety is widely planted in most of Germany’s wine regions. What’s the state of Pinot Noir cultivation and wine production in Germany currently?

RE: It has stabilized at a high level. The best wines are getting more and more stylistically finer and more polished. We see all of the global trends in Pinot Noir making reflected in Germany; i.e., playing with reduction, less extraction, etc. What we see on the horizon is a new trend of German red wines: Cuvées. My prediction is, that Spätburgunder will be the flagship red variety for Germany like Riesling is the flagship white variety.

JM: Pinot Noir cultivation in Germany goes back to at least the 9th century. How are German Pinot Noir cultivars different from the widely used Burgundy/International clones? To what extend do the German Pinot Noir cultivars represent a distinct genetic pool and how prevalent are the Burgundian/Dijon clones in Germany?

RE: In my experience, you can taste the difference between German and French clones. German clones have more upfront red fruits, have more acidity and less tannins. There are several genetic pools of Pinot Noir in Germany. We see the Geisenheim family, the Freiburg family and in some regions like the Ahr some local specialties (Kastenholz Clone).

The Dijon clones are not working in all regions. In some parts of Baden, it is too warm. However, there are many growers in other parts using them. Very often they use a mix of clones. Clonal selection has become a fingerprint for every winery.

JM: Germany offers the most diverse soils of any other country in which Pinot Noir is cultivated. These range from various combinations of marine sedimentary rocks (limestone, gypsum, sandstone, marl) in Baden and Franken to the loess soils and volcanic and metamorphic (slate) soils of the Ahr region. How do these different terroirs shape the aroma and flavor profile of German Pinot Noir?

RE: In my opinion, there are huge differences in Pinot Noir from different soils. I have been tasting recently the Ahr Pinot Noirs for a wine guide. These wines are generally lusher in fruit and have the bacon fat aromas that you can find also in wines from the Northern Rhône.

Pinot from limestone is much more fruit focused and has a silkier mouthfeel. They show a French balance between acidity and ripeness. Very elegant and posh.

Volcanic soils and the warm climate of the Kaiserstuhl give the wine more pronounced flavors. You can really smell smoke sometimes. These wines can have a rustic edge. I love them, too! Sandstone Pinot is savory and gypsum soils give more herbal notes.

JM: Speaking of the Ahr, half of all the vineyards in this region grow Pinot. This is the furthermost northern latitude where Pinot Noir is cultivated. What is it about this Ahr region that lends itself to Pinot Noir, and how are the Pinot wines produced in this region different from those produced elsewhere in Germany?

RE: The Ahr is a slate canyon so you have a very special microclimate there. Remember the Ahr river ends up in the Rhine – the Rhine brings a lot of warm influence that can sweep up the Ahr valley. The Ahr is one of the hidden treasures of German winemaking. I know these wines very well. I have tasted all the Ahr wines, for the last 5 years, for the wine guide VINUM.

The Ahr is as diverse as Burgundy. It is a rugged landscape – you can taste immediately the impact of small differences in aspect, steepness and soil. The people there are very stubborn and you have very unique personalities. This also explains why you have such different but very stylistically polished Pinots there.

Meyer-Näkel is the epitome of a hedonistic Pinot – lush, sensual, sexy. Kreuzberg is hearty and has grip (grippy tannins). Stodden is pure perfume and ethereal but also with grip.

With Adeneuer wines you can taste that Mr. Adeneuer has experienced all the great Pinot Noirs in the world. His Gärkämmer (Kastenholz Clone) matured in Taransaud T5 barrels reflects that. For me, it is the best Pinot Noir in Germany.

When you taste those wines, you have to understand what the people of the Ahr valley eat. The valley is surrounded by forest – they love to serve game. The Pinot from the Co-operative Mayschoss, the oldest cooperative in the world, reflects how the inhabitants like their Pinots: darker in color, some residual sugar, mouth filling but soft tannins. A lovely wine to drink with roast venison.

Bertram, a new winery, makes a Pinot with very little extraction in a more intellectual style.

It is the mix of different terroirs and different very strong personalities that makes Ahr Spätburgunder so special.

JM: Like elsewhere in Europe, the growing season in Germany has been growing longer and warmer. How will that affect German Pinot Noir wines? Are they going to become more Burgundian in style?

RE: First of all, German growers are in love with Burgundy but they see that Burgundy is maybe the cradle of Pinot Noir but not the godfather of style.

German producers want to create their own interpretation of Pinot Noir. I think, so far, that Pinot Noir and other red varieties in Germany have profited from climate change. It would be perfect if it would stay like this, but it will not!

The outcome of climate change is very different. We see dry stress, severe frost early in the season, sometimes also too much rain. The seasons are becoming crazier.

I think the challenge will be to manage these weather extremes in order to retain the high quality of German Pinot. Producers need to ensure that alcohol levels don’t rise too much and that sufficient acidity levels are retained. That’s why organic and biodynamic growing is growing in popularity with premium growers.

JM: German Pinot Noir wines tend to be characterized by more distinct acidity compared to those from other parts of the world (Burgundy, Oregon, Chile and New Zealand). Do you think they also tend to be less fruit forward compared to new world styles? Is there a distinctive German Pinot Noir style that we can identify?

RE: I think the acidity in German Pinot Noir is in some part also linked to different clonal selections. Regarding, fruit forwardness, I can’t confirm that, it depends on the style and region. Since we have so many different soil types and every grower has its own clonal recipe – it is difficult to see similarities in all these different wines.

At the end, it is as difficult to shoehorn German Pinot Noir as it is for German Riesling. German wine, overall, is all about diversity.

JM: Thank you

Below are tasting notes from six of Germany’s leading Pinot Noir producing regions. These wines reflect the impact of radically different soil types and are typical of the style of Pinot Noir wines produced in each of these areas.

Meyer-Nakel, Pinot Noir, 2018, Ahr, 13.5% ABV, 750 ml, ARP: $39

The Ahr Valley is the northernmost region in which Pinot Noir is cultivated. Vineyards are planted on the steep sided valley walls, some on ledges carved out of the rock. The soils are mostly slate, making this one the few regions in the world where Pinot Noir vines are grown in metamorphic soils.

On the nose, a floral note of violet is followed by red fruits, especially strawberry, red currant and a bit of cherry. There is a notable smokiness, along with a pronounced minerality. On the palate, a crisp acidity with noticeable but ripe, well integrated tannins, along with pronounced notes of strawberry, red currant and a bit of plum. The finish is medium length, with lingering red fruit notes.

Weingut Burg Ravensburg, Sulzfeld Pinot Noir, 2018, 12.5% ABV, 750 ml, ARP: $21

The Ravensburg vineyard has been producing wines since 1251, making it not only the oldest vineyard in Germany, but likely the oldest continuously functioning vineyard in the world. It’s situated in Baden, the region on the east side of the Rhine River, almost directly opposite Alsace-Lorraine. Soils here are a complex mix of limestone, loess, granite, clay, gravel banks (both riverine and glacial moraine), sand and decomposed volcanics. The Kaiserstuhl, a low range of hills of volcanic origin, marks the regions southwest boundary.

On the nose, the fruit profile includes the usual red fruit notes, but also offers up darker fruit with notes of blueberry, dark cherry, blackberry and a bit of prune. There is also a noticeable cinnamon note and a hint of clove. On the palate, there is a pronounced acidity, a noticeable backbone or ripe, well integrated tannins, along with fruit notes of red cherry, strawberry, cranberry, blueberry, black cherry and plum– both fresh and dried.

The finish is medium length, dry, with earth and dried mushroom and lingering plum notes.

Wittmann, Spätburgunder, 2018, 12.5% ABV, 750 ml, ARP: $31

Spätburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir. Spät means late in German, while Burgunder refers to Burgundy. Persuasive, if circumstantial evidence, that Pinot Noir was introduced to Germany via Burgundy.

The Wittman is produced in Rheinhessen, Germany’s largest wine producing region. Its roughly 70,000 acres of vineyards host over 100 million vines, and accounts for roughly two-thirds of Germany’s wine production. Soils here are mostly calcareous with varying amounts of loam, clay and sand mixed in.

A classic example of German Pinot Noir. On the nose, it offers up pronounced cherry and raspberry notes, along with a bit of strawberry. It has aromas of wet earth and forest floor, along with some leather, dried mushroom, a slight smoky note and the wet stone minerality often found in German Pinot Noir.

On the palate, there is pronounced acidity and noticeable but well ripened, silky tannins, along with red fruit notes, a hint of milk chocolate, some vanilla, a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg spice and a touch of black pepper. There is a persistent but well integrated wood note in the background.

The finish is long, with lingering dried red fruit notes.

Becker Family, Pinot Noir, 2015, 13.5% ABV, 750 ml, ARP: $22

The Becker Family Pinot Noir comes from the Pfalz region. This the second largest wine producing district in Germany. It sits between the Rhine River to the east and the Haardt Mountains to the west. Soils here are very heterogenous with thick loess soils in the eastern portion and sandstone in the western region abutting the Haardt Mountains. There are riverine deposits of sand, silt and gravel, as well as outcroppings of limestone and marl. This region is the largest producer of Riesling in the world, and is known for producing red and white wines that are robust and full-bodied with powerful fruity aromas and exhibiting excellent aging potential.

This wine offers up powerful aromas of strawberry accompanied by notes of cherry, raspberry and a bit of cranberry, along with a pronounced earthiness, smoke and a stony minerality. On the palate, the wine is rich and powerful with distinctive but ripe, soft tannins. There are the expected red fruit notes, along with a distinctive oak note, and vanilla, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove spices. There are some leather and dried mushroom notes as well as a bit of milk chocolate.

The finish is long, with persistent strawberry and cherry notes accompanied by black pepper and cinnamon.

Familie Allendorf, Spätburgunder, 2018, 13.5% ABV, 750 ml, ARP: $22

The Allendorf comes from the Rheingau region. This is one of the smallest wine producing regions in Germany. It’s situated west of Mainz, along the western shore of the Rhine River. The area also hosts the Geisenheim oenological research institute. Many of the vineyards are located on the steeply pitched slopes alongside the Rhine River. Soils here are particularly complex, featuring chalk, sand, gravel, clay, loess, quartzite and slate.

The wine offers up aromas of rose petal with a pronounced black cherry and raspberry notes, along with a hint of smoke and wood spices. On the palate, there are red fruit notes of black cherry, raspberry and strawberry. There are additional notes of vanilla, milk chocolate, along with some cinnamon and clove spice. There is a bit of roasted red beet and a touch of dried mushroom. This is a relatively light wine with well integrated, ripe tannins that nicely complement the pronounced red fruit notes.

The finish is long, with lingering red fruit notes and a bit of black pepper.

Dautel, Pinot Noir, 2018, 13% ABV, 750 ml, ARP: $24

The Dautel comes from the Wurttemberg region. This is Germany’s top red wine producing area. It’s located east of the Rhine between the Tauber Valley and the foothills of the Swabian Jura. The vineyards are found in the valleys of the Neckar, Enz and Rems rivers north and east of Stuttgart. The soils types include shell-limestone, keuper, marl, loess and clay.

On the nose, the 2018 Dautel shows intense aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry and cassis. There are additional notes of forest floor/brush, toasted bread and a hint of fresh iodine. On the palate, the wine shows a silky texture, with a pronounced acidity and a noticeable tannic backbone. There are red fruit flavors, along with notes of earth, mushroom, smoke and leather. Additional flavor notes include some oak, tobacco, vanilla, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg spice, along with hints of coffee and chocolate.

The finish is long, with an intense fruitiness featuring lingering cherry and raspberry notes.

German Pinot Noir is one of the wine world’s undiscovered treasures. Although it has been produced for centuries, it remains relatively unknown outside of Germany. That’s a pity, because Germany is making some outstanding Pinot Noir wines and offering them at incredible prices.

More importantly, if you are a lover of Pinot Noir wines, Germany’s producers offer the opportunity to taste wines made from radically different soil types utilizing Pinot Noir clones that are generally not found outside of Germany. If you are serious about Pinot Noir, you cannot afford to miss Germany’s offerings.

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