Description

The Huber Winery in Malterdingen is in the deep South – West of Germany, located on the foothills of the Black Forest mountains between Strassbourg in the French Alsace Region and the city Basel in Switzerland. On approximately 25 ha they cultivate round about 65 % Pinot Noir. Their base of Malterdingen has a wonderful Pinot Noir tradition. For over 700 years Pinot Noir has been cultivated in the village with the first documented planting in 1285. Cistercian monks brought the Pinot Noir tradition from Burgundy into the Baden region. About 8km away from Malterdingen was a big Cistercian monastery: the Monastery Tennenbach. These Cistercian monks also had a “curia” in Malterdingen. A kind of estate, where the monks managed all their vineyard work. This Curia is the location of the Huber winery.

The Spätburgunder/Pinot Noir Baden is their regional red wine made out of young vines which are between 6 and 12 years old. Already for this basic wine we practice the “green harvest” to reduce the crop to approximately 65 hl/ha. There is a beautiful waft of florals, cherries and plums with pepper and oak joining the chorus. A delicate and light palate hosts some very fine tannins. The wine is dry and a bit compact at the moment, another 6 to 12 months would do wonders and probably 5 years would be better still. At the moment I’d match it with a firm white fish baked in a tomato based sauce.

Baden – The Cistercian Monks brought Pinot to this region over 700 years ago. The climate and soils complete with limestone matched the Burgundian Terroir and the Pinot Noir or Spatburgunder can make some seriously great wines that will rival Burgundy.

Pinot Noir – This is the most elusive grape. It is relatively early ripening and extremely sensitive to terroir. Its perfect place on earth is the Cote d’Or in Burgundy. So haunting are great red Burgundy’s charms that growers everywhere try to emulate them. Pinot Noir is not just a one trick pony, it can make great reds, rosé, sparkling and even sweet wines, whites on occasion and I’ve tasted a decent fortified Pinot Noir too.