A powerful, volcanically influenced Pinot Noir from the Kaiserstuhl in Baden – black volcanic rock and Burgundian clones give rise to a dry Grosses Gewächs of depth and ripeness.
Bottler: Weingut Franz Keller, Badbergstr. 44, 79235 Vogtsburg-Oberbergen im Kaiserstuhl / Germany
In the glass
Colour
Medium cherry red with a clear, luminous depth.
Nose
Darkly spiced and savoury, with ripe sweet-sour cherry fruit, Indian spices, a hint of cassis, as well as fine notes of aged beef and herbs.
Palate
Fleshy and juicy, forest berries and cherries meet rose, graphite and stone; the tannins are still firm, the oak elegantly integrated, accompanied by ethereal nuances and a rustic, earthy tone.
Character
Powerful, complex and grounded – a Spätburgunder with structure that vividly expresses its volcanic origins and still has potential for further development.
Pairing
Beef fillet with dark herbs, game dishes such as saddle of venison in pepper sauce, or rich mushroom preparations.
Notes
VDP Grosse Lage on black volcanic rock, spontaneously fermented and aged for 18 months in French barriques with 45% new oak; a touch of reduction and an earthy undertone connect the wine directly to its place of origin.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Medium cherry red – bright, clear, with a density that speaks of the warm southern volcanic flank.
Nose
Typically powerful and darkly spiced: herbaceous notes meet invitingly ripe cherry fruit, sweet and tart at once. Indian spices, a hint of aged beef, along with some cassis – a slight reduction that lends the wine depth and focus. A bouquet that does not merely please, but challenges.
Palate
Fleshy and juicy at once – a rare combination. Forest berries and cherries meet rose, graphite and stone. The tannins are still firm, the wood very well integrated. A subtle rusticity resonates throughout, no flaw but rather a sense of place: one tastes soil and earth while the fruit echoes ethereally.
Finish
Long, spicy and stony – the cherry lingers, supported by a taut structure that promises this 2022 several more years of bottle ageing.
Terroir & origin
The Oberrotweiler Eichberg lies on south- to partly southwest-facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl. Black volcanic rock stores the warmth of southern Baden and imparts to the wines that distinctive minerality for which Weingut Franz Keller is renowned. In 1994, the vineyard site was planted with Burgundian clones – a consistent choice for an estate that consciously regards its home as “Baden’s Burgundy”. The Keller family cultivates six VDP Grosse Lagen across 35 hectares; the Eichberg ranks among the most expressive of them all.
Grape variety & vinification
Spätburgunder, spontaneously fermented and aged for 18 months in French barriques, 45% of which were new. The winery, completed in 2013 and built into the slope in terraces, allows gentle maturation according to the gravity principle – technology that defers to the grape. Since 2016, Friedrich Keller has guided the estate’s fortunes as the fourth generation, adhering firmly to a philosophy of minimal intervention and precise vineyard site selection.
Food recommendations
The fleshy spice and beefy note on the nose make this wine ideally suited to beef fillet with red wine jus, braised leg of lamb or game terrine with lingonberries. It also makes a convincing companion to duck breast with cherry jus. For those preferring something heartier: a rich mushroom stew with rösti.
Special characteristics
A Spätburgunder that refuses to be softened: the subtle rusticity, the interplay of sweet fruit and tart sharpness, the graphite overlaying it all – this is Eichberg in its purest form, volcano in a glass. Add to this the elusive duality of the Keller estate: viticulture at Burgundian level alongside a restaurant, the Schwarzer Adler, which has held a Michelin star uninterrupted for over 55 years. This 2022 is still young – patience will be rewarded.
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