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18.December 2007

International Recognition for German Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

By: DWI

A first: in Belgium, a country of discerning red wine connoisseurs and fans of French-style red wines, a German Spätburgunder was voted “wine of the year” – a 2005 barrique-aged Spätburgunder produced by Weingut Knab/Endingen in the Kaiserstuhl district of Baden, Germany’s southernmost wine-growing region.

The Belgian daily “De Standaard” profiles five remarkable wines in every Saturday edition, i.e. ca. 300 wines annually. From these wines, the top five of 2007 were presented last Saturday. The German Spätburgunder was the only wine to receive the top rating of five stars.

Monika Reule, managing director of the German Wine Institute/Mainz, regards this success as a confirmation of the institute’s efforts to make German Spätburgunder better known internationally. “German red wines are vitually unknown in foreign markets – to say nothing of their excellent quality. Even in Germany, few are aware that we’re the third largest Spätburgunder producer in the world.”

During recent years, the German vineyard area devoted to Spätburgunder has continually increased and now consists of nearly 12,000 hectares/29,652 acres – and the trend continues. Larger plantings of Spätburgunder can only be found in France and the USA, where the varietal is known as Pinot Noir.

Spätburgunder buds early and, like Riesling, does best in cool climates. As such, the grape is well-suited for cultivation in Germany, which numbers among the most northerly wine-growing countries in the world. A long ripening period enables the grapes’ pronounced aromas and typical, fruit acids to develop a harmonious balance, a hallmark of the variety. Regardless of origin, Spätburgunder wines all tend to have a charming, slightly sweet fruitiness with hints of raspberries, strawberries and currants. They are  generally lower in tannins and pigments than wines produced from other red varieties.

Thanks to lower yields, longer maceration, and aging in large oak casks or small barriques, ambitious growers in Germany have been able to produce Spätburgunder wines that number within the ranks of the finest reds – particularly in recent years. Contemporary German Spätburgunders offer consumers a wide variety in terms of quality levels and region of origin.

photo: DWI

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