Spätburgunder: a deep dive into Germany’s Pinot Noir, with a tasting of 77 wines from top vineyard sites
German wine has been having a good moment for the last decade, and this is one of the wine country whose regions have generally benefited from climate chaos and its warming trends. But climate chaos is not a friend you want to be too close too: with the warming trends come extremes, and in many wine regions the best sites might be getting a little too hot in some vintages.
Spätburgunder, Germany’s Pinot Noir, has never been better, and now many regions are making some exciting examples. These notes were taken yesterday in Wiesbaden at the VDP Grosses Gewächs tasting. This is an amazing tasting featuring new single-vineyard wines from the top tier of vineyards in the country, the GGs. All of these wines are from estates who are members of the VDP.
Some explanation is in order. VDP stands for Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (which translates as the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates). Fortunately, it’s simply abbreviated as VDP.
There are 198 member producers, and the basis of this wine classification is terroir. Since a revision in 2012, vineyards are classified on four levels:
- VDP Grosse Lage (equivalent to Grand Cru)
- VDP Erste Lage (premier cru)
- VDP Ortswein (village level)
- VDP Gutswein (regional)
Only the first two tiers are allowed to mention the vineyard name on the label. So a Grosses Gewächs (GG) is a top wine made from a Grosse Lage by a member of the VDP. These wines have to be dry (under 9 g/l residual sugar), and they are the wines we tasted in Wiesbaden. There’s one more layer of complexity: for each region, only certain varieties can make GG wines. If you see GG on a bottle, then you know it is pretty serious, and that it’s made in a dry style (trocken) from a top vineyard site.
The tasting is superbly organized. We sit down, with a list of 400+ wines arranged in flights. You choose which flights you’d like to taste, and the attentive servers bring the wines to your table and pour for you. It makes the whole process of taking notes very straightforward.
These wines are arranged by region, and then site. The GG name is in capitals in each note.
AHR
Deutzerhof Ahrweiler Spätburgunder ECK 2024 Ahr
Nicely structured with a savoury spicy edge to the sweet raspberry and cherry fruit. Some smoky notes. Quite linear and mineral, perhaps showing a bit of oak influence. 93/100
Meyer-Näkel Ahrweiler Spätburgunder SILBERBERG 2024 Ahr
Smoky and slightly reductive on the nose with vivid berry fruits. The palate is taut and focused but also has lots of flesh. Lovely raspberry and cherry fruit hemmed in nicely by the mineral-like reductive characters. This is an impressive wine. 95/100
Jean Stodden Ahrweiler Spätburgunder ROSENTHAL 2024 Ahr
There’s some nice floral cherry detail here, but also a strong savoury spiciness. It’s fleshy, but also has angles. Fresh and expressive with red cherry and raspberry. Lively, spicy, tapering finish. 94/100
Deutzerhof Mayschoss Spätburgunder MÖNCHBERG 2024 Ahr
Slightly sweet and sour in character with rich cherry fruit and then some sour cherry and a bit of spicy, tarry framing. Nice balance and poise here. Lovely weight and texture. 93/100
Jean Stodden Rech Spätburgunder HERRENBERG 2024 Ahr
Beautiful elegance and tension here. Some sweet cherry and raspberry fruit with nice flesh, but also some spicy fragility, and a touch of sweet acidity. Just a little haunting sappy greenness too. Stylish. 94/100
Meyer-Näkel Dernau Spätburgunder PFARRWINGERT 2024 Ahr
Reductive and herby on the nose which seems a bit stinky, but in a nice way. The palate is bold and rich with some green notes as well as really ripe fruit. It’s pushing the edges, but really nice. 94/100
Meyer-Näkel Walporzheim Spätburgunder KRÄUTERBERG 2024 Ahr
Quite delicate on the nose with some herbs and spice as well as sweet cherry fruit. The palate is sweetly fruited and quite rich with nice mid-palate weight and some lovely herbal detail. 94/100
Deutzerhof Neuenahr Spätburgunder IM KUCKSTEIN 2024 Ahr
A touch of sweet and sour on the nose with bright cherry and plum fruit as well as some prominent acidity, a slight hint of volatility, and then a fresh, long finish. 92/100
Jean Stodden Neuenahr Spätburgunder SONNENBERG 2024 Ahr
Balance and restraint the key here. Some savoury, spicy fringing to the sweet cherry and plum fruit with a slight bitterness on the finish. Has flesh and bones, and potential for development. 94/100
Meyer-Näkel Neuenahr Spätburgunder SONNENBERG 2024 Ahr
Strongly reductive, spicy nose with vibrant raspberry and cherry fruit. The palate has some herbal hints, mineral reductive notes, and brisk acidity on the finish. This is a beautifully complicated wine and I like it. 94/100
SACHSEN
Schloss Proschwitz-Prinz zur Lippe Rottewitz Spätburgunder SCHLOSS PROSCHWITZ 2023 Sachsen
Compact nose with restrained but appealing raspberry and strawberry fruit. The palate has lovely tension with bright red cherry fruit and some wild strawberry, as well as some iodine notes. Really lovely. 94/100
Martin Schwarz Radebeul Spätburgunder FRIEDSTEIN 2022 Sachsen
Pure, elegant floral nose with ethereal red cherries and sappy, leafy notes. The palate is restrained and textural with sweet strawberry fruit and modest tannins. A light, elegant, ethereal style. 95/100
FRANKEN
Rudolf Fürst Klingenberg Spätburgunder SCHLOSSBERG 2024 Franken
Green herbal edge to the vivid berry fruit nose. Compact berry fruits with nice juiciness and focus. Good concentration here, with potential for development. 94/100
Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Grossheubach Spätburgunder BISCHOFSBERG 2024 Franken
Bright, vivid and nicely savoury with a sappy twist to the bold berry fruits. 92/100
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadt Spätburgunder CENTGRAFENBERG 2024 Franken
Lovely floral aromatics with some sweet raspberry and cherry fruit. The palate is elegant, concentrated and fine, showing some savoury, bloody elements as well as sweet cherry fruit. Nice precision here. 95/100
Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadt Spätburgunder HUNDSRÜCK 2024 Franken
Herbs, blood, undergrowth and iodine join the textured strawberry and cherry fruit here. Shows lovely approachability, but also some seriousness, and all the time elegant. 95/100
Am Stein-Ludwig Knoll Stetten Spätburgunder STEIN 2024 Franken
Some taut herbal notes in the nose here with a plump palate of cherry and berry fruits, with a sour cherry finish. Lots to like here. 93/100
RHEINGAU
August Kesseler Assmannshausen Spätburgunder HÖLLENBERG 2024 Rheingau
Wonderful aromatics here. Floral, white pepper, delicate cherries. The palate is fine and expressive, and light but still full flavoured. Exquisite balance and elegance, and lots of joy here. 96/100
August Kesseler Rüdesheim Spätburgunder BERG SCHLOSSBERG 2024 Rheingau
Really nice aromatics, with some floral prettiness as well as spicy savouriness. The palate shows some herbal and spicy complexity, with wild strawberries and red cherries. Such a layered, pretty wine. 96/100
Kaufmann Hattenheim Spätburgunder HASSEL 2024 Rheingau
Sappy and juicy with a sour cherry edge to the bright fruit. Sweet and sour in character but has some nice intensity. Lovely fruit. 92/100
Krone Assmannshausen Assmannshausen Spätburgunder HÖLLENBERG 2023 Rheingau
Lovely aromatics with floral cherries and plums. The palate has nice tension and balance with sweet strawberries and cherries, finishing with nice structure. Complex, layered, elegant but structured. 95/100
RHEINHESSEN
J. Neus Ingelheim Spätburgunder PARES 2024 Rheinhessen
Lovely strawberry and cherry fruit here with nice texture. It’s silky and generous with a core of sweet fruit, but there’s enough structure to give balance. Really lovely and nicely complex. 95/100
J. Neus Ingelheim Spätburgunder HORN 2024 Rheinhessen
Distinctive nose has a smoky, spicy edge with some herbs and spice. Savoury detail here with nice weight, but perhaps a bit too much smoky oak influence? 92/100
Wagner-Stempel Siefersheim Spätburgunder HEERKRETZ 2024 Rheinhessen
Herbal, mulchy nose with some spicy oak. Nice raspberry fruit palate with some more spicy oak adding a frame. 91/100
Kühling-Gillot Oppenheim Spätburgunder KREUZ 2024 Rheinhessen
Juicy, bright and vivid with some spicy oak in the mix alongside fresh cherry notes. Sweet fruit core, framed by spice. 91/100
Gutzler Westhofen Spätburgunder BRUNNENHÄUSCHEN 2024 Rheinhessen
Juicy, spicy cherries and herbs with some sour cherry and green notes on the finish. Fleshy and juicy. 90/100
Gutzler Westhofen Spätburgunder MORSTEIN 2024 Rheinhessen
Supple, light, juicy and vivid with a core of red fruits. Nice sweet fruit core. Simple but tasty. 91/100
Gutzler Gundersheim Spätburgunder HÖLLENBRAND 2024 Rheinhessen
Sweet and sour in character with red cherries, raspberries and some herbs. Nice freshness and juicy intensity here. 92/100
Battenfeld Spanier Hohen-Sülzen Spätburgunder KIRCHENSTÜCK 2024 Rheinhessen
Sweetly aromatic with some wood spice as well as berry fruits. Nice compact fruit on the palate with a whisky-like edge from the oak. 89/100
Battenfeld Spanier Mölsheim Spätburgunder ZELLERWEG AM SCHWARZEN HERRGOTT 2024 Rheinhessen
Some savoury, woody notes on the nose. The palate shows nice focused cherry fruit with a bit of fine spiciness. 91/100
PFALZ
Philipp Kuhn Laumersheim Spätburgunder STEINBUCKEL 2024 Pfalz
Nice floral aromatics as well as some fresh strawberry and raspberry fruit. Has brightness and energy and also nice fruit. Shows a bit of spicy oak. 91/100
Philipp Kuhn Laumersheim Spätburgunder KIRSCHGARTEN 2024 Pfalz
Herbal hints as well as some spicy woodiness here. Stylish and supple with some raspberry and cherry fruit, with a savoury twist on the finish. 91/100
Odinstal Herxheim Spätburgunder HIMMELREICH 2024 Pfalz
Beautiful warmth on the nose with some mulchy notes as well as sweet strawberry fruit. The palate is bright and vivid with a sour cherry twist to the fruit. This is nicely complex and really alive, made in a distinctive style. 93/100
Rings Leistadt Spätburgunder FELSENBERG 2024 Pfalz
Just beautiful balance here with a core of sweet cherry and berry fruits, supplemented by some well-integrated sweet oak. Good concentration and delivers a lot of pleasure. 94/100
Rings Kallstadt Spätburgunder SAUMAGEN 2024 Pfalz
Supple and bright showing nice fruit purity. There’s some vivid cherry fruit here and a touch of raspberry, and appropriate acidity and structure. 94/100
A. Christmann Königsbach Spätburgunder IDIG 2024 Pfalz
Floral nose with some sweet and sour character, but it works. Juicy and linear with nice cherry fruit, showing real elegance and poise. Textured and fine. Bright. 94/100
A. Christmann Gimmeldingen Spätburgunder SCHILD 2024 Pfalz
Juicy style with a touch of sweet and sour, showing bright red cherry fruit, finishing with sour cherry. Textured and quite refined, with a bit of structure. Appealing. 93/100
A. Christmann Neustadt Spätburgunder VOGELSANG 2024 Pfalz
Beautifully balanced. Wild strawberry and red cherry with a little spicy bite on the finish, and some good structure. This is juicy on the finish with a degree of elegance. 94/100
Dr. Wehrheim Siebeldingen Spätburgunder IM SONNENSCHEIN 2024 Pfalz
There’s some elegance to the cherry and strawberry fruit here. Good concentration, some nice texture, and then a spicy bite on the finish. 93/100
Bernhart Schweigen Spätburgunder SONNENBERG RG 2024 Pfalz
Some spicy woody notes hover around ethereal red cherry notes on the nose. The palate has nice delicate fruit with a lightness of being, as well as some spicy oak. 92/100
Jülg Schweigen Spätburgunder SONNENBERG KB 2024 Pfalz
Sappy nose with intense berry fruits as well as some beetroot. Lovely vivid, sweet berry fruits on the palate with a nice acid line and some intriguing mouthfeel. 93/100
Bernhart Schweigen Spätburgunder SONNENBERG KT 2024 Pfalz
Sappy and ethereal on the nose, but some nice concentration and mid-palate richness in the mouth. Nice detail and focus here. Lovely fruit. 94/100
Jülg Schweigen Spätburgunder SONNENBERG KT 2024 Pfalz
Sappy cherry fruit on the nose with a hint of beetroot. The palate shows nice concentration and depth with a sour cherry finish. Very stylish and elegant. 95/100
Münzberg-Gunter Keßler Godramstein Spätburgunder MÜNZBERG 2023 Pfalz
Some savoury herbal characters and a bit of structure under sweet cherry and raspberry fruit. Nice balance here with a core of sweet fruit. 93/100
Dr. Wehrheim Birkweiler Spätburgunder KASTANIENBUSCH-KÖPPEL 2023 Pfalz
Supple, rounded and quite elegant with a core of sweet fruit. Lovely wild strawberry and sweet plum, with some structure providing a counter. 94/100
Friedrich Becker Schweigen Spätburgunder HEYDENREICH 2023 Pfalz
Concentrated, dense berry fruits with good structure and some oak influence. Bold and blocky, but with potential. 92/100
Friedrich Becker Schweigen Spätburgunder SANKT PAUL 2023 Pfalz
Structured, dense and vivid with lovely berry and cherry fruits, with some firm structure and well integrated oak. Substantial style with potential. 94/100
Friedrich Becker Schweigen Spätburgunder SONNENBERG KB 2023 Pfalz
Juicy and vivid with sour cherries and berries, as well as some oak. A rich, intense style with lots of everything. 92/100
Knipser Laumersheim Spätburgunder KIRSCHGARTEN 2022 Pfalz
Compact, classical and rich with sweet berry and cherry fruits as well as some good structure, and a bit of well integrated oak. This is impressive. 94/100
Knipser Grosskarlbach Spätburgunder IM GROSSEN GARTEN 2022 Pfalz
Some wood in the mix here, with a core of sweet cherry and berry fruit. Structured and nicely dense, made in a modern style. 92/100
Ökonomierat Rebholz Siebeldingen Spätburgunder IM SONNENSCHEIN 2021 Pfalz
Delicate, leafy, ethereal cherry fruit nose with nice balance. The palate is fine and silky with some sour cherry and plum, showing real elegance. 95/100
BADEN
Bernhard Huber Malterdingen Spätburgunder BIENENBERG 2024 Baden
Focused, fresh vivid nose with bold cherry and berry fruit. The palate shows nice intensity with juicy berries and cherries, a hint of beetroot, and lovely focus. Serious, with potential for development. 96/100
Franz Keller Oberbergen Spätburgunder BASSGEIGE STEINRIESE 2024 Baden
Slightly nervy but intense nose with sour cherries and spice. The palate is vivid, bright, sweetly fruited and finishes slightly bitter, with a spicy layereing. Lots of impact here, and some very nice fruit. But fragile. 94/100
Franz Keller Oberrotweil Spätburgunder EICHBERG 2024 Baden
Fleshy, juicy and spicy with a core of sweet berry and cherry fruits, and a touch of sour cherry on the finish. Lively finish. 93/100
Franz Keller Achkarren Spätburgunder SCHLOSSBERG 2024 Baden
Juicy, silky strawberry and cherry fruit here with lovely flesh and elegance. There’s some warmth to the fruit. 94/100
Dr. Heger Achkarren Spätburgunder SCHLOSSBERG 2024 Baden
Supple and fresh with some warmth to the cherry and strawberry fruit. Elegant texture here: it’s friendly and approachable, but there’s some fine spicy framing. 93/100
Dr. Heger Ihringen Spätburgunder WINKLERBERG WINKLEN 2024 Baden
Warm, ethereal nose with a bit of spice and ripe cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate is fresh and supple with nice sweet red fruits and good acidity. A lovely lighter, more elegant style. 94/100
Dr. Heger Ihringen Spätburgunder WINKLERBERG WANNE 2024 Baden
Beautifully focused in a lighter style but still with plenty of flavour. Textured red cherry fruit with some nice fine spicy detail. This shows lovely balance and weight. 95/100
Dr. Heger Ihringen Spätburgunder VORDERER WINKLERBERG 2024 Baden
A lighter style with elegant, ethereal red cherry and wild strawberry fruit, showing nice balance and tension as well as textured fruit. 94/100
Bercher Burkheim Spätburgunder FEUERBERG KESSELBERG 2023 Baden
Slightly rubbery, leathery notes on the nose, then some savoury detail to the berry fruits on the palate. Something isn’t quite right here, but there’s nice fruit. 88/100
Salwey Oberrotweil Spätburgunder EICHBERG 2023 Baden
Silky, spicy cherry and berry fruits here with a savoury, slightly woody edge on the palate. Nice fruit density and some appeal. 92/100
Salwey Oberrotweil Spätburgunder KIRCHBERG 2023 Baden
This has a core of sweet cherry and berry fruit, complemented on the palate by some spicy, woody notes. Good intensity of flavour. Finishes grippy. 90/100
Blankenhorn Schliengen Spätburgunder SONNENSTÜCK 2023 Baden
Bright, compact cherry and berry fruits with some firm tannin. Quite extractive with a slightly drying finish. But nice fruit. 90/100
Heitlinger Odenheim Spätburgunder KÖNIGSBECHER 2022 Baden
Warm aromatics with a hint of almond. Sweet, ripe strawberry and cherry fruit here with good density. Very stylish and compact. 94/100
Burg Ravensburg Sulzfeld Spätburgunder LÖCHLE 2022 Baden
Sweet fruit core with cherries and berries. Nice silkiness with a slightly savoury twist to the fruit. Very stylish and balanced. 94/100
Lämmlin-Schindler Mauchen Spätburgunder FRAUENBERG 2022 Baden
Bright and slightly edgy with a liqueur-like edge to the raspberry and cherry fruit, and then some tartness on the finish. Very likeable. 93/100
Staatsweingut Freiburg Blankenhornsberg Spätburgunder DOKTORGARTEN WINKLEN 2021 Baden
Some soft, sweet strawberry fruit here along with some nice cherry and plum fruit. Nice finesse. Easy and tasty. 92/100
WÜRTTEMBERG
Rainer Schnaitmann Fellbach Spätburgunder LÄMMLER 2024 Württemberg
Haunting nose with some sappy green hints and sweet berry fruits. The palate is grainy with nice grip, and some lovely detail. Good weight and structure with a nice wet stone finish. 94/100
Aldinger Fellbach Spätburgunder LÄMMLER KAISER 2024 Württemberg
Slightly reductive edge to the red berry fruits on the nose. The palate is juicy and crunchy with raspberry and cherry, showing nice focus and presence. Edgy wine, but nice. 93/100
Aldinger Untertürkheim Spätburgunder GIPS MARIENGLAS® 2024 Württemberg
Smoky, reductive edge to the nose which shows spicy berry fruits. The palate is linear, focused and detailed, and the reduction works well, framing the vivid raspberry and black cherry fruit. Nice precision. 95/100
Wöhrwag Stuttgart Spätburgunder HERZOGENBERG 2024 Württemberg
Sappy, florakl, slightly musky nose with sweet strawberry fruit. The palate has lovely smooth, sliky fruit with ripeness and elegance, and a slight spicy framing. Delicious in this lighter style. 94/100
Graf Neipperg Neipperg Spätburgunder SCHLOSSBERG 2024 Württemberg
Fruity, bright and showing lovely balance. There’s sweet fruit here – cherries and ripe plums – but also nice freshness and detail. So expressive. 94/100
Staatsweingut Weinsberg Gundelsheim Spätburgunder HIMMELREICH 2024 Württemberg
Wood spice and berry fruits on the nose. A little bit of volatile acidity, too. Some nice fruit, but it’s a bit disjointed. 88/100
Beurer Stetten Spätburgunder MÖNCHBERG ÖDE HALDE 2023 Württemberg
Juicy, tart and lively with red cherry and berry fruits, finishing with some sour cherry. 91/100
Dautel Oberstenfeld Spätburgunder FORSTBERG 2023 Württemberg
Nice density of silky cherry and berry fruits. Forward and fruity with good energy and a sour cherry twist on the finish. 93/100
Dautel Bönnigheim Spätburgunder SCHUPEN 2023 Württemberg
Supple and textural with nice sweet fruit. Wild strawberries and cherries with some plummy detail. Silky and textural with nice finesse. 94/100
Graf Neipperg Schwaigern Spätburgunder RUTHE 2023 Württemberg
Silky, elegant and ethereal with some subtle herbiness and a touch of sweet cherry, finishing with nice brightness. Very stylish. 94/100
