A dry, elegant Pinot Noir from biodynamic viticulture – powerful and refined at once, entirely in keeping with Steffen and Sophie Christmann’s prima ballerina ideal.
Bottler: Winery A. Christmann, Peter-Koch-Str. 43, 67435 Gimmeldingen/Pfalz / Germany
In the glass
Colour
Deep, luminous cherry red with garnet reflections.
Nose
Ripe dark cherry and wild raspberry, accompanied by fine herbal spice, a hint of undergrowth and delicate roasted notes.
Palate
Juicy red fruit meets silky tannins and a taut, saline-mineral vein; 13.0% vol. lends fullness without heaviness, and the finish remains long and precise.
Character
Powerful yet elegant – a Grosses Gewächs with tension, finesse and a clear expression of its Mittelhaardt origin.
Pairing
Ideal with pan-roasted duck breast, beef fillet with mushroom jus, or game dishes such as saddle of venison.
Notes
From the VDP.GROSSE LAGE Vogelsang, farmed biodynamically since 2003 and certified by respekt-BIODYN as well as EU organic; the estate dedicates itself exclusively to Riesling and Pinot on classified vineyard sites.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Cool, translucent cherry red with a garnet rim – the classic transparency one expects from a great Spätburgunder from the Palatinate.
Nose
Fine-boned and precise: sour cherry and red forest berries, behind which lies a hint of dried herbs, cedar and a cool, almost smoky spiciness. Not a single gram of excess opulence.
Palate
Slender, yet with backbone. The tannins are finely woven, the acidity draws the wine out in length, and a salty minerality anchors the fruit in the soil. Precisely that union of power and grace which Steffen Christmann describes as his ideal – the prima ballerina, this time in red.
Finish
Long and cool, with lingering cherry fruit and a saline aftertaste that recalls the vineyard rather than the cask.
Terroir & origin
Alongside IDIG, Meerspinne and Ölberg-Hart, the VDP.GROSSE LAGE Vogelsang forms part of the estate’s top quartet on the Mittelhaardt. The region’s soils of Buntsandstein sandstone, limestone and terrace gravel shape each Christmann wine differently; the Vogelsang reveals the Pinot from its cool, sharply contoured side.
Grape variety & vinification
Pure Spätburgunder, vinified dry, with a pleasingly moderate 13.0% abv. The estate in Gimmeldingen has been run by Steffen Christmann since 1996 as the seventh generation, joined by his daughter Sophie in 2018, and has farmed biodynamically since 2003 – certified by respekt-BIODYN and EU organic. The vines root deeper, and the wines gain tension.
Food recommendations
A wine for fine cuisine: duck breast with cherry jus, saddle of venison with juniper, grilled lamb chops or indeed tagliatelle with porcini. Also a reliable choice alongside mature Allgäu mountain cheese.
Special features
Christmann bottles exclusively wines from Erste Lage and Grosse Lage vineyards – across just 17 hectares. The fact that the estate grows around 70 per cent Riesling makes this Pinot a rare red highlight for a house otherwise famed for its Königsbacher IDIG Rieslings. Anyone seeking German Spätburgunder at the highest level, without the broad fruit sweetness found in some of its peers, will discover precision in its purest form here.
