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Tasting note
A Spätburgunder that bears the new signature of the Ahr: cool elegance rather than alcoholic power. Julia Bertram and Benedikt Baltes harvest early, work quietly — and with the Marienthaler Trotzenberg 2022 demonstrate just how much depth is possible at a mere 11.5 per cent.
- Colour & appearance
- Pale, transparent cherry red with a delicate garnet rim — the picture of a Pinot that favours finesse over fullness.
- Nose
- Fine-boned and cool: red cherry, wild raspberry, a hint of blackcurrant, accompanied by floral notes of violet and a fine, slate-driven spiciness with touches of herbs and cool forest.
- Palate
- Sleek, juicy and immensely drinkable. The fruit remains red and bright, carried by a lively, by no means sharp acidity and silky, fine-grained tannins. Despite its lightness, it shows remarkable density — nimble-footed yet far from lightweight.
- Finish
- Clean and cool, with lingering cherry fruit, a saline pull and a fine spiciness that invites the next sip.
- Terroir & origin
- The Trotzenberg lies in Marienthal in the Ahr Valley — part of the steep vineyard sites that the estate cultivates around Dernau, Ahrweiler and Mayschoß. Weathered slate soils store the day’s warmth, while cool nights preserve freshness. Plots with gradients of up to 70 per cent demand purely manual labour and restrict yields to 30–40 hectolitres per hectare.
- Grape variety & vinification
- Pure Spätburgunder, spontaneously fermented and aged in local Franconian oak. No enrichment, no fining, bottled unfiltered — organically farmed since 2020.
- Food recommendations
- A versatile table wine: wonderful with pan-roasted duck breast, saddle of venison with lingonberries, mushroom dishes such as chanterelle sauté, or simply with mature hard cheese. Served lightly chilled, it is also a delight with salmon.
- Special features
- The 2022 vintage is the first following the devastating Ahr flood of 2021, which swept away cellars and entire vintages. This wine therefore tastes not only of a great origin but also of the indomitable will of a young generation of winemakers — proving that Spätburgunder below 12 per cent alcohol can achieve profound concentration.
