Pinot Noir

Red variety - Spätburgunder

• General: The grape variety Pinot Noir is one of the oldest and highest quality red wine varieties in the world. The variety seems to be directly descended from wild vines from Burgundy, which were widespread as far north as France until the phylloxera catastrophe in the mid-19th century. Historically, there is evidence as far back as Roman times. The variety was introduced to Germany in 884 by Emperor Charles III as "Clävner". There is evidence of the cultivation of Pinot Noir in the Rheingau around 1440 by the monks of the Cistercian monastery of Eberbach under the name "Klebrot". Pinot Noir demands a great deal of skill and ability from the winegrower in the vineyard and cellar. The variety is widespread around the world in cooler growing regions or those close to the sea, which guarantee slow ripening at moderate temperatures to preserve the aroma. In France, outside Burgundy, these are Champagne, the Loire Valley, Alsace and the higher vineyards of Languedoc. Pioneers in Germany are the Ahr, Baden and the Palatinate, where ambitious winegrowers produce dense, extract-rich wines with barrique ageing. Pinot Noir is also popular in Switzerland as Dôle and in Austria under the synonym Blauburgunder. But the New World also offers interesting Pinot Noirs from southern New Zealand, Tasmania, the coastal regions of the USA and South Africa.
• Cluster: The different clones show Pinot Noir in the most diverse appearances. The grape structure ranges from compact to loose, small to medium-sized. The grapes are cylindrical, rarely shouldered. The berries are round to oval, dark blue, fragrant and thin-skinned. The berry flesh is juicy and discreetly fruity.
• Wine: The variety of aromas ranges from strawberry and cherry to ripe plum and blackcurrant, depending on the ripeness and ageing style. These are often accompanied by nuances of rosemary and mint, as well as almonds and mocha. Matured Pinot Noirs show a delicate, nutty bitterness. When the grapes reach a balanced ripeness on the vine, which, however, must not go into jammy over-ripeness, the wines present themselves with a cherry-red colour, ripe tannins, an elegant acidity after a moderate ageing of 9 to 15 months in small oak barrels.
• Cultivation: The variety reacts very sensitively to soil properties and microclimates and is technically demanding to grow. The thin berry skin is accompanied by a susceptibility to fungal diseases such as oidium and botrytis. Pinot noir is also sensitive to drought, which requires an adequate water supply to the soil over the summer. Well-aerated sites with easily warmed soils are advantageous. The vine is medium to strong-growing. Depending on the clone, the ripening window can be exhausted. At the same location, the harvesting time of different clones can vary by 7 to 10 days.