Peter Wagner Oberrotweil Spätburgunder Alte Reben 2023

Peter Wagner trained in Geisenheim and worked in Sonoma, New Zealand and for six years as head winemaker at Franz Keller before returning to the family estate in Baden, in southwest Germany. This is his old vine Spätburgunder, the German name for Pinot Noir, from vineyards around Oberrotweil at the foot of the volcanic Kaiserstuhl. The warm, sheltered slopes and weathered volcanic and loess soils give the grape ripe fruit and an earthy depth, while a cooler 2023 season held the wine to a fresh 13 percent. Old vines yield small crops of concentrated fruit, and the wine ages sixteen months in large foudres, where the high ratio of wine to wood gives a gentle, slow oxygen exchange that builds texture without imposing oak flavour. The colour is bright red, the nose showing cherry and red berries over rose, damp earth and dried herbs, with a light peppery note. The palate is medium bodied and silky, with fresh acidity, fine tannin and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 degrees in a large glass. It pairs with roast duck, herb roast chicken and mushroom dishes.