Description

The old vines of the Estate are in the Huber Bienenberg vineyard. They date back to the 50s and 60s and feature some of the oldest clones in Germany. This is a plush and attractive Pinot with plenty of density, structure and minerality to provide drive and life. You just have to try this wine to believe the quality.

“Calling it the spice girl of Spätburgunders does not insinuate that the Bienenberg is shallow, but the choice of barrique has resulted in an extremely spicy fragrance. Cloves and nutmeg also dominate the palate, giving the fruit a hard time at this early stage. Fortunately, minerality refuses to be suppressed and makes its presence felt with a pronounced salty tang. There can be no doubt about the underlying substance, but a little more fruit will be welcome, if and when it emerges.” 17/20 Michael Schmidt, jancisrobinson.com August 2016

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. Of the approximately 25 ha they cultivate round 65% is Pinot Noir. Huber’s base of Malterdingen has a wonderful Pinot Noir tradition. Having the Cistercian monks bring the traditional grape vine from Burgundy over 700 years ago (the first documented planting was in 1285). 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.

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.