The exceptional year

In FocusGerman Pinot Noir

7 March, 2022

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting

Good times for red wine lovers: 2018 was already remarkably good for German and produced more top wines than any before it, but 2019 has all the makings of going down in history as the biggest vintage yet for the finest of all red wine varieties. We have already found 61 wines that were worth 90 points or more, and a significant number of the top Pinots are not even on the market yet.

We are currently noticing several positive developments. On the one hand, the trend towards wines with more finesse continues unabated. Also, many producers who used to focus on particularly high ripeness, alcohol power and abundant wood are now producing much more elegant Pinot Noirs. The most important side effect of this change of mind seems to be that the wines not only have more character and a higher recognition value, but also increasingly develop character of origin. And finally, we are always amazed at how many new talents we discover each year who are dedicated to producing fine Pinot Noirs.

Perhaps the nicest thing about it is that most red wine lovers can easily participate in these developments. Because even if some top producers are increasingly self-confident in their pricing, and the number of wines for which you have to fork out a three-digit euro amount also increases year after year, Germany still remains a paradise for excellent Pinot Noirs at affordable prices. We can't say it often enough: nowhere else can you discover so much good Pinot Noir for less than 20 euros.

This is also the reason why we strongly advise you not to focus only on the 94 top Burgundies presented here. At the end of each vintage list you will find links to a further total of around 350 German Pinot Noirs, many of which are worthy of any attention.

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Vintage 2019

Weingut Rudolf Fürst — Franconia/Franken 2019 Bürgstadt Hundsrück Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 96 WP great

Weingut Franz Keller — Baden 2019 Oberbergen Bassgeige Spätburgunder "Steinriese" 95 WP great 105.00 €

Weingut Kreuzberg — Ahr 2019 Spätburgunder Reserve "Devonschiefer - R" 94 WP excellent 85.00 €

Weingut August Kesseler — 2019 Assmannshausen Höllenberg Pinot Noir Grosses Gewächs trocken 94 WP excellent 165.00 €

Weingut Bernhard Huber — Baden 2019 Hecklingen Schlossberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 94 WP excellent 83.00 €

Chat Sauvage — 2019 Pinot Noir "Le Schulz" 92 WP excellent 120.00 €

Weingut Rudolf Fürst — Franconia/Franken 2019 Bürgstadt Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 93 WP excellent

Weingut Franz Keller — Baden 2019 Achkarren Schlossberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 93 WP excellent 70.00 €

Weingut Bernhard Huber — Baden 2019 Malterdingen Bienenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs "Wildenstein" 93 WP excellent 136.00 €

Weingut Rudolf Fürst — Franconia/Franken 2019 Klingenberg Schloßberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 92 WP excellent

Weingut Rings — 2019 Leistadt Felsenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 92 WP excellent 95.00 €

Weingut Franz Keller — Baden 2019 Oberrotweil Eichberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 92 WP excellent 48.00 €

Weingut Bernhard Huber — Baden 2019 Malterdingen Bienenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 92 WP excellent 55.00 €

Weingut J.J. Adeneuer — Ahr 2019 Walporzheim Gärkammer Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 92 WP excellent 65.00 €

Chat Sauvage — 2019 Rüdesheim Drachenstein Pinot Noir 90 WP excellent 60.00 €

Weingut Schmitt's Kinder — Franconia/Franken 2019 Randersacker Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "Hohenroth" 43.00 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Oberrhein 2019 Pinot Noir Landwein "Jaspis Zipsin" 91 WP excellent 45.00 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2019 Landwein "Rhini" 91 WP excellent 34.00 €

Weingut Kreuzberg — Ahr 2019 Ahrweiler Silberberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 91 WP excellent 42.00 €

Weingut Kreuzberg — Ahr 2019 Neuenahr Sonnenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 91 WP excellent 42.00 €

Weingut Burggarten — Ahr 2019 Walporzheim Alte Lay Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 91 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut J. Neus — Rheinhessen 2019 Ingelheim Pares Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent 55.00 €

Weingut Rudolf Fürst — Franconia/Franken 2019 Klingenberg Spätburgunder VDP.Ortswein trocken 91 WP excellent

Weingut Aldinger — 2019 Fellbach Lämmler Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 91 WP excellent 42.00 €

Weingut Rings — 2019 Kallstadt Saumagen Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent 69.00 €

Weingut Bernhard Huber — Baden 2019 Köndringen Alte Burg Spätburgunder 91 WP excellent 55.00 €

Weingut Franz Keller — Baden 2019 Jechtingen Enselberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 91 WP excellent 32.00 €

Weingut Franz Keller — Baden 2019 Oberrotweil Kirchberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 91 WP excellent 48.00 €

Weingut A. Christmann — 2019 Königsbach Idig Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent

Weingut Bernhart — 2019 Schweigen Sonnenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "RG" 38.00 €

Weingut Blankenhorn — Baden 2019 Schliengen Sonnenstück Pinot Noir Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent 35.00 €

Weingut Jülg — 2019 Schweigen Sonnenberg Spätburgunder trocken "KB" 91 WP excellent 38.00 €

Weingut Zimmerle — 2019 Spätburgunder trocken "Goldadler" Réserve 90 WP excellent 38.00 €

Weingut Knauß — 2019 Strümpfelbach Nonnenberg Spätburgunder trocken 90 WP excellent 32.00 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2019 Pinot Noir Landwein trocken "Vulkan" 90 WP excellent 45.00 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2019 Spätburgunder Landwein trocken "Steinkreuz" 90 WP excellent 35.00 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2019 Landwein "Schulen" 90 WP excellent 22.00 €

Weingut Kreuzberg — Ahr 2019 Neuenahr Schieferlay Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 90 WP excellent 35.00 €

Weingut Wageck-Pfaffmann — 2019 Pinot Noir "Geisberg" 90 WP excellent

Weingut Burggarten — Ahr 2019 Neuenahr Schieferlay Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 90 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut J. Neus — Rheinhessen 2019 Ingelheim Horn Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 45.00 €

Weingut Thörle — Rheinhessen 2019 Saulheim Probstey Spätburgunder trocken 90 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut Heid — 2019 Fellbach Lämmler Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent

Weingut Aldinger — 2019 Untertürkheim Gips Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs Monopol, "Marienglas®" 90 WP excellent 33.90 €

Weingut Seeger — Baden 2019 Leimen Herrenberg Blauer Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "Spermen R" 90 WP excellent 36.00 €

Weingut Franz Keller — Baden 2019 Achkarren Spätburgunder VDP.Ortswein 90 WP excellent 26.00 €

Weingut Bernhard Huber — Baden 2019 Bombach Sommerhalde Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 90 WP excellent 55.00 €

Weingut Salwey — Baden 2019 Oberrotweil Eichberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 50.00 €

Weingut Salwey — Baden 2019 Oberrotweil Kirchberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 60.00 €

Battenfeld-Spanier — Rheinhessen 2019 Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 48.00 €

Weingut Bercher — Baden 2019 Burkheim Feuerberg Kesselberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 41.00 €

Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann — 2019 Fellbach Lämmler Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 58.00 €

Weingut Deutzerhof — Ahr 2019 Mayschoss Mönchberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 46.00 €

Weingut Deutzerhof — Ahr 2019 Neuenahr Kirchtürmchen Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 48.00 €

Weingut Bernhart — 2019 Schweigen Sonnenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "KT" 32.00 €

Weingut Bernhart — 2019 Schweigen Sonnenberg Spätburgunder VDP.Erste Lage trocken -R- "WB" 27.00 €

Weingut Graf Neipperg — 2019 Neipperg Schlossberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 30.00 €

Weingut Deutzerhof — Ahr 2019 Heimersheim Landskrone Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 38.00 €

Weingut J.J. Adeneuer — Ahr 2019 Ahrweiler Rosenthal Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 90 WP excellent 37.00 €

Weingut J.J. Adeneuer — Ahr 2019 Spätburgunder trocken "Kleine Kammer" 90 WP excellent 26.50 €

Tomislav Markovic — Oberrhein 2019 Pinot Noir Landwein "Parabole" 90 WP excellent 42.00 €

All wines

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Vintage 2018

Weingut August Kesseler — 2018 Assmannshausen Höllenberg Pinot Noir Grosses Gewächs trocken 95 WP great 165.00 €

Weingut Dr. Heger — Baden 2018 Ihringen Winklerberg Wanne Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "Häusleboden®" 93 WP excellent 78.50 €

Weingut August Kesseler — 2018 Pinot Noir trocken Cuvée "Max" 92 WP excellent 85.00 €

Weingut Deutzerhof — Ahr 2018 Spätburgunder Reserve trocken "Grand Duc" 92 WP excellent 55.00 €

Weingut Dr. Heger — Baden 2018 Ihringen Vorderer Winklerberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent 50.00 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2018 Pinot Noir Landwein trocken "14/7" 91 WP excellent 75.00 €

Weingut Beurer — 2018 Stetten Mönchberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "Öde Halde" 35.00 €

Weingut Richard Östreicher — Franconia/Franken 2018 Sommerach Katzenkopf Spätburgunder "Rosen" 42.00 €

Hessische Staatsweingüter GmbH Kloster Eberbach — 2018 Assmannshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs aus dem Cabinetkeller 91 WP excellent 59.00 €

Weingut Robert König — 2018 Assmannshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder trocken "Zenit" 91 WP excellent 35.90 €

Weingut Kopp — Baden 2018 Varnhalt Klosterbergfelsen Felsenstück Spätburgunder trocken 91 WP excellent 45.00 €

Schloßgut Diel — Nahe 2018 Pinot Noir Réserve trocken "Caroline" 91 WP excellent

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2018 Weil Schlipf Spätburgunder 90 WP excellent Up to 50.00 €

Weingut GBR Gutzler — Rheinhessen 2018 Westhofen Morstein Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut Münzberg, Lothar Keßler & Söhne GbR — 2018 Godramstein Münzberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken "Schlangenpfiff" 90 WP excellent 35.00 €

Weingut Bischel — Rheinhessen 2018 Pinot Noir trocken Réserve 90 WP excellent 36.00 €

Weingut Bastian Hamdorf — Franconia/Franken 2018 Klingenberg Spätburgunder 90 WP excellent 32.00 €

Weingut Kopp — Baden 2018 Varnhalt Sonnenberg Spätburgunder trocken 90 WP excellent 30.00 €

All wines

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Vintage 2017

Weingut Ziereisen — Oberrhein 2017 Spätburgunder Landwein "Jaspis 10hoch4" Alte Reben 94 WP excellent 163.00 €

Weingut Friedrich Becker — 2017 Schweigen Sonnenberg Pinot Noir trocken "Heydenreich" 94 WP excellent 125.00 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Oberrhein 2017 Spätburgunder Landwein "Jaspis Bürgin" 92 WP excellent 70.00 €

Weingut Friedrich Becker — 2017 Schweigen Sonnenberg Pinot Noir trocken "Kammerberg" 92 WP excellent 65.00 €

Weingut Friedrich Becker — 2017 Schweigen Sonnenberg Pinot Noir trocken "Steinwingert" 91 WP excellent 38.00 €

Weingut Friedrich Becker — 2017 Schweigen Sonnenberg Pinot Noir trocken "Herrenwingert" 91 WP excellent 38.00 €

Weingut Josef Walter — Franconia/Franken 2017 Bürgstadt Hundsrück Spätburgunder trocken "J" 91 WP excellent 35.00 €

Weingut Friedrich Becker — 2017 Schweigen Sonnenberg Pinot Noir trocken "Sankt Paul" 91 WP excellent 58.00 €

Weingut Knipser GbR — 2017 Großkarlbach Im Grossen Garten Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent 42.00 €

Weingut Knipser GbR — 2017 Laumersheim Kirschgarten Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 91 WP excellent 39.00 €

Weingut Knipser GbR — 2017 Dirmstein Mandelpfad Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 39.00 €

Weingut August Kesseler — 2017 Pinot Noir trocken "Momentum Gaudeo" 90 WP excellent

Weingut GBR Gutzler — Rheinhessen 2017 Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 45.00 €

All wines

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Older vintages

Weingut Graf Neipperg — 2014 Neipperg Schlossberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 34.50 €

All wines The first 2020s

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	100 WP unique Wines that can only be made differently, but not better.
	95-99 WP great World-class wines whose depth, complexity, character and expressiveness give an unforgettable, sensual experience.
	90-94 WP excellent First class wines that are among the best of their kind. They are characterized by purity, harmony, depth and character.
	85-89 WP very good Remarkable wines with personality, expression, as well as a certain complexity and depth. They deserve every wine lover's attention.
	80-84 WP good Clean, harmonious, at best typical wines.
	75-79 WP passable
	70-74 WP schwach
	60-69 WP insufficient
	50-59 WP unacceptable

Welcome back!

The exceptional year

In FocusGerman Pinot Noir

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Vintage 2019

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Vintage 2018

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Vintage 2017

In Focus: German Pinot Noir Older vintages

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EVENTS NEAR YOU

100 WP unique

95-99 WP great

90-94 WP excellent

85-89 WP very good

80-84 WP good

75-79 WP passable

70-74 WP schwach

60-69 WP insufficient

50-59 WP unacceptable