Handwerk Spätburgunder 2019

The Spätburgunder comes from various vineyards on the Ahr from Mayschoß to Bad Neuenahr that are on average 15 years old and thus from loess and sandstone, from greywacke and slate. The grapes were destemmed to 100 %. Then followed cold maceration and spontaneous fermentation. The ageing took place in used wood from Spessart oak in barrels from the Assmann cooperage. All grapes were harvested by hand. Chaptalisation has not taken place since 2016, and a small portion of sulphur is the only thing added before bottling.

medium, quite transparent ruby red

If you like the Pinot Noir Craft into the glass, it spontaneously combines notes familiar from car garages, road construction or even the Chinese fireworks industry with dark raspberries and Bündnerfleisch. It is the reduction that determines the wine in its youth, which is why you should first give it a good breath of air. Then some of the reduction evaporates, there is a little more fruit and sweet yeasty notes.

On the palate, the reduction plays a much smaller role and the still present bangs combine with red and dark berries, traces of undergrowth and forest soil. The estate wine from Julia Bertram and Benedikt Baltes shows itself fresh, clear, unadorned, even purist in a pleasant way, mineral, firm and even already elegant with irrepressible freshness and energy. In the background, there is cool stone, some sloe, a little tar and fine acidic notes of pomegranate juice. The tension and freshness that this wine offers makes for a lot of drinkability, especially as a slight saltiness sets in on the finish.