Back in July, MidWeeker Richard looked at “pinot noir on a budget” and considered three options around £10 being sold by The Wine Society.
While few of us are not impressed by Burgundian versions at their majestic best, their prices remain a major challenge for most of us.
That is not a suggestion that the region’s masterpieces are over-priced, simply that demand is such that many folk will find them unaffordable.
So, Richard is seeking out alternative sources of pinot noir that get some way up the ladder towards stardom, but at kinder prices.
Today he has turned to Germany where the variety is, of course, called Spätburgunder.
About a third of Germany’s wine production is now red – and, of that, around 60% is Spätburgunder.
Generally speaking, coming from cooler areas, Spätburgunder is lighter, fresher and more centred on soft fruits than Burgundian versions.
That seems especially true at the less expensive end of the ranges.
However, spend a little more and examples emerge that get encouragingly close to the complexity, aging potential and minerality of French options.
Indeed, overall Germany offers some great options and delivers many classic pinot noir characteristics at much more affordable prices.
A supplementary item today considers new work to create disease resistant grape varieties – and highlights a new one on the scene.
The images and hyperlinks provided should help you to find them in crowded displays.
Richard’s Report:
“Although Germany is the third largest producer of PN (after France and USA) their bottles are not plentiful on UK wine shelves – most is consumed in Germany.
But the UK demand for PN has risen sharply and merchants have been making greater efforts to find new sources.
For example, The Wine Society now list 12 German PN’s priced from £9.95 to £65.
I was excited to explore some German examples, but it should be mentioned that a few of my bottles had some poor customer reviews.
I have put this down to the fact that lighter and leaner reds do not suit some people’s palate – so PN and Nebbiolo can suffer such reviews!
No shame in “not getting” a certain style of wine – I don’t get Amarone/Ripasso or high-end Champagne!
On to the tasting
I tasted 4 wines at home: first blind; then again; and then with dinner.
This gave a rounded view, and my wife an opportunity to add her pithy comments.
I also included a wine that much impressed at a recent London tasting.
These range in price from £10 to £16.50 – so are “Sweet Spot” wines, rather than “Gateway” or “Aspirational”.
Some readers may remember the Sainsbury’s TtD Rheinhessen Pinot Noir, which could be classed as a “Gateway” wine, but this is currently out of stock – I guess pending a vintage change?
Tasting Notes
- 2023 Palataia Pinot Noir, Pfalz. £10 from M&S and Ocado 13%
Light and fresh, style, earthy notes and cooked strawberries. A versatile food wine.
- 2021 Spätburgunder, Markgräflerland, Martin Wassmer. Baden. £13.50 from The Wine Society (on offer, down from £15.50) 13.5%
Cherries, fuller and a touch of “menthol” which I often get in good Chilean PNs. Good length.
- 2019 Walt Pinot Noir, Pfalz. £12.99 from Adnams 13.5%
Slight touch of earthiness, some ripe red fruits, mellow and elegant.
- 2020 Louis Guntrum Pinot Noir, Rheinhessen. £15.99 from Waitrose 13%
Warm fruits, cherries, raspberries, good depth and mouth feel.
- 2019 Blauer Spätburgunder, Weingut Knipser, Pfalz, @£16.50 from The Wine Society 13%
Great nose, lovely fruit, silky and elegant.
Summary
The objective of this exercise was not to pick a “winner”, but to assess German PNs around these “sweet spot” prices.
I am wary about generalising PN styles by country – a lot depends on the producer, the vintage and the style they wish to create.
But … if Burgundy tends towards the savoury, NZ to purity of fruit, the USA to sweeter fruit, Chile to powerful flavours, then Germany tends to be between NZ and Burgundy.
I suspect the higher price versions will be a true value alternative to “aspirational” priced Burgundy.
More Generally
I found it difficult to get German vintage data but understand that 2019 was a very fine warm vintage that enabled excellent ripening.
I was particularly impressed with the two 2019 bottles I tried, and they were drinking very well after 5 years in bottle.
I enjoyed all 5 wines, and thought they represented good value. Germany is now very much on my radar for Pinot Noir!
Availability Update
The Palataia is a recent release, so should be widely available from your M&S store or Ocado.
Adnams have quite a few stores in the East of England, and offer free delivery for orders over £65. They still list The Walt, and stock another German PN, the 2022 Villa Wolf, Ernst Loosen – which I bought, but haven’t tried – also at £12.99.
The TWS’s Wassmer wine, is on a clearance offer, so I guess will soon be unavailable. But the 2019 Blauer Spätburgunder, Pfalz, Weingut Knipser 2019 @£16.50 is newly on their list.
Waitrose still list the Guntrum, but it may not be in all stores – but you should find the 2022 Johann Wolf Pinot Noir @ £10.99, which has good customer reviews. There are also 2 further examples on the Waitrose Cellar website, that look very attractive, but @ £24.99 & £41.99!”
[Editor: Many thanks for this excellent report, Richard. I am sure that many subscribers will be excited by these mouth-watering choices and will raise a glass to you for pointing them out.]
A tongue twister for you
We have grown used to four letter acronyms such as “Hi-fi” and “Wi-fi” but here is a new one – PIWI.
For the curious with nimble tongues, the full word is “pilzwiderstandsfähig” which seems to be German for fungus resistant.
It refers to a process of crossbreeding grape varieties using species naturally less prone to problems with diseases like downy mildew.
Success offers at least four important benefits:
- Less chemical spraying,
- Costs can be reduced,
- Fewer grapes are lost to disease, and,
- Higher humidity from climate change becomes less of an issue.
MidWeeker Paul – always a reliable source about science (and much else) – says:
“They are hybrids of European and wild Asian and American grapevines that are highly resistant to mildew and rot. …. Expect to hear lots more about PIWI wines.”
MidWeek Wines featured the first PIWI wine to appear in the UK a month of two back – Tesco Finest Floreal (down to £7 for Clubcard holders for the rest of this month incidentally).
A new one arrived recently and – unsurprisingly – a good friend of this site, Jean Claude Mas, is involved.
Some reports say that he has been associated with this project for something like ten years.
The result here is white wine that blends sauvignon blanc (55%) with a “PIWI” hybrid grape called Souvignier Gris (45%).
What did I make of it?
2023 Paul Mas Sauvignon Blanc Souvignier Gris (£10 at Tesco and 12.5% abv):
Fragrant and textured, it has a foundation of smooth melon and quince flavours.
These are coupled with firm grapefruit acidity, apple peel aromas and a mineral (saline) finish that ably counterbalances any richness.
All-in- all, a wine to be recommended even though £10 feels a bit heavy – if understandable, given the development costs.
My next post (on Monday) contains yet more terrific recommendations of Top Tips for you in the weekly feature of the same name.
21 responses
Aldi are currently selling a French wine called “The Puzzle”, which is based on two PIWI grapes, Souvignier Gris as above, and Muscaris ( related to Muscat ). It is part of their Specially Selected range, and supplied by Chassaux et fils, who have a lot of decent wines on the Aldi shelves
Currently reduced from £8.49 to £7.99. I have not tried it yet, but based on your comments I might give it a go
I’m also a fan of German Pinot Noir, definitely more friendly on the wallet! The Martin Wassmer from the Wine Society is probably just clearing for the next vintage. I’ve been buying this wine since the 2017 vintage
The Coop Interlude PN is also rather decent, riper than its German counterparts but not so ripe as US. £8.65 a bottle, which I think is great value
I should have said the Coop PN is from Australia!
The Walt pinot noir (and their Riesling) is stocked by Booths. A little cheaper too than Adnams.
Thanks Brian, some great info today and thanks Richard (our Pinot expert) for that inciteful look at German Pinot’s. I do like German reds and have drunk the M&S ‘Palataia’ many times and always enjoyed it, I tend to like Adnams wines as well so I shall add the ‘Walt’ to the next order.
Lisa’s Co-op Interlude sound lovely, so I’ll grab a bottle from my local.
A friend of mine has a hillside vineyard near Meltham, West Yorkshire and he is very keen on PIWI vines. For several years he has made white wine from the Solaris grape. Very enjoyable, fragrant wine and no trace of methoxypyrazine. He has more recently planted a black grape, Cabernet Cortis, which he says looks very promising. Expect to see a lot more varied English wines.
Hello Mel,
Another PIWI variety is Sauvignac.A cross of Sauvignon Blanc,Riesling and an unknown wild variety,developed in the Switzerland ,but tested in Bordeaux and Cognac.
Resistant to drought,frost,mildew and botrytis.
Olly Smith waxes lyrical about the Wine Society version,but some are not too sure about the apple plus lemon flavour.
However these PIWI grapes are so new that winegrowers needs to learn how to get the best from them and none of these vines are old.
Two rushed typos above:
“ in Switzerland” and “ winegrowers need” are the corrections.
I blame cafe culture and Portuguese coffee!
This is a very interesting review Richard and gives a good idea of what to expect from German Pinot Noir while identifying some subtle variations. I agree that many people don’t get the lighter and leaner red wines but can appreciate that if their preferred style of wine is more like Aldi’s new Specially Selected Salice Salentino Riserva 2021 the difference is indeed quite marked. But for me one of the endless pleasures of wine is the sheer variety of possibilities from the same grape varieties in different locations and by different producers. To this end, and at the risk of being seen as a broken record, I strongly encourage people to explore what producers in England have been doing with PN in recent years. My forays in this area suggest there is some good stuff out there, the only caveat being the expense. The reasons for this are well rehearsed (e.g. still on margins of suitable climate, price of land/labour, relatively small-scale operations etc) and they are wines then in the “Aspirational’ category and typically north of £20 a bottle. But on the basis that sometimes it’s worth drinking one good bottle a week rather than a number of ordinary bottles every 2 days, these are top-notch English Pinot Noirs from the excellent 2022 vintage definitely worth saving for:
• Ashling Park Estate 2022 Estate Selection Pinot Noir (West Sussex)
• 2022 Gusbourne Estate, Pinot Noir (Kent)
• Bolney Estate Pinot Noir 2022 (West Sussex)
• Simpsons Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2022 (Kent)
PS. There are a few slightly less pricey English PNs on the high street. M&S introduced Balfour English Pinot Noir from the Hush Heath Estate in Kent about a year ago and Majestic have just introduced Balfour ‘1503’ Pinot Noir 2023
PPS. I bought and drank the Aldi Salice Salentino Riserva mentioned above yesterday. It’s a rather good example of a 100% Negroamaro wine from Puglia and well-priced at £7.99.
Hello Brian and Richard,
Brian, I do worry about your younger and middle aged readers, who have never had the pleasure of sitting opposite a real life bank manager, with a beaming smile, as you sign the loan document- using a fountain pen- at an exorbitant rate of interest.
Years ago our local bank manager wanted to visit my mum at home, but he was greeted by our Jack Russell terrier,Gyp; affectionately known to village locals as Bitey. Gyp was an early recruit of the Territorial Army and left a large hole in the bank manager’s trouser leg.Relations were only repaired with a bottle of whisky.
I also worry about Richard, trapped in a Mobius loop of Mission Impossible, searching for top quality, nearly affordable, Pinot Noirs.But after the above very good stab at some German ones, I suggest we send him next to Chile.*
In the meantime I want to look at California, Sonoma county and Pinot Noir.
Usually that combination guarantees to be unaffordable.Not so, if there is the backing of a huge wine corporation and sold by a huge supermarket retailer.
Tesco Mark West Pinot Noir California 2022 13.5% Normally £11, but on Clubcard price offer at £9 until November 4th…So nearly affordable?
Mark West winery has been making Pinot Noir- and only PN- since 1978, so know a thing or two about the grape.In 2021 they were taken over by Gallo, but Matt Steel was kept as winemaker.
Light garnet in colour, just about medium bodied, balanced acidity with soft tannins and a terrific nose of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, detectable from a mile off.Cherry and sweet plum mid palate, then a controlled smoky oak char to the finish-even a slight hint of HP brown sauce.Will keep for up to five years.
Pinot Noir Valle del Bio Bio Chile 2022 13.5% TTD Sainsbury’s £9.50
Hi Paul,
Ahh … the magical sub £10 Pinot Noir, waiting at the end of the rainbow?
The problem is, it is not a myth. Eddie has found one – Spätburgunder, Bio, Ruppertsberg 2022, and in fairness he told us all about it – several times. But by the time I ordered it, only the 2023 was available, and this, as Eddie and many TWS members commented, had no star dust.
I will continue looking (and thanks for your 2 recommendations) BUT as an insurance policy, am also looking at “PN alternatives”.
The Cinsault, Le Paradou, Château Pesquié 2022, was a success, although now sold out. Another was The Society’s Austrian Red 2022. This Zweigelt wine I can best describe as like a fairly serious Cru Beaujolais, but with a peppery, spicy, attitude. Lovely at £9.50. I have a number of other bottles, including The Wine Society’s Generation Series Valpolicella 2023, awaiting me to set up another private tasting session.
Hello Richard,
With you on the great game of looking for Pinot Noir alternatives.
One of the best was TWS Bin#015 Cinsault, Vin de France, Ollieux-Romanis 2022 from the Languedoc. Soft, silky,made with minimal intervention- Cinsault is very drought resistant.No longer available, sadly. Your Austrian Zweigelt is also a distinct possibility.
The Sainsbury’s Pinot Noir was a surprise winner at my recent local wine club meeting.The other two PN’s were from France (second) and NZ ( third by a long distance) and we had to guess which country they came from.
Great fun, great company and combined with a movie quiz- which proved I know a lot more about wines than movies.
The Mark West PN seems to me to offer a sensible hedge bet against possible future duty rises ?
Keep up the good work,we all appreciate it at MW Wines.
Thank you Richard for your excellent and helpful articles and as you predicted I too didn’t enjoy the Martin Wassmer from the WS, which I found to be too thin and dry whereas your earlier Californian recommendation; Clay Creek was excellent and a bargain at 9.75 with fruit and some sweetness. I also enjoyed the Chilean WS Limari but that was pricy at £23 (recommended by Tim Atkins) The Les Terrasses St Nicolas Cabernet Franc at Tesco (£11) is also excellent for those looking for lighter wines
Thanks Matt and welcome to the Comments section. Chile does indeed offer some good pinot noir – not all of it at higher prices. Good call on the cabernet franc too – I was hoping to do a post on that underestimated variety this summer but it was squeezed out.
Ah, so I’ve just had a bottle of the Les Terrasses St. Nicolas Cab. Franc over the weekend and thought it was totally delicious also. Light, very refreshing and completely unstoppable! By the end it seemed to pour itself and even made the Sunday night ironing chore semi-enjoyable! A top buy and will be looking out for more.
Thanks for joining in the Comments section, James. you are very welcome. As you say, lovely wine and something I must share with the wider MidWeek Wines audience sometime soon … Thanks for reinforcing its reputation.
PIWI’s are coming! There’s a few starting to appear on the supermarket shelves, such as those listed, whilst they appear with regularity in vineyards here in the south east. Varietials like Rondo and Regent are now considered first generation and are being overtaken by varietals such as Divico and Caberet Noir (sic), which offer better aging possibilities, alongside the resistance inherent in PIWIs.
I recently visited a Belgian vineyard which grew nothing but PIWI varieties and sold 250k annually bottles through Delhaize and other supermarkets. They have also developed a smaller, more experimental brand, using a wider range of PIWIs. I can only describe these, having tasted the full range, as excellent.
I hadn’t realised how widespread PIWI grape production is – especially in the UK. It is good to get the MidWeekers input into this.
I was in the area near the Black Forest last week. I went to a village wine co-operative, I was amazed at just how good their Pinot Noir was. I was even more amazed when I entered their shop to find that the PN we had tasted was on sale for 7.45 euros.
Thanks David, it is good to get validation from “our man on the spot” of the contentions in the post about the value, quality and ratio between them of German pinot noir.
… and a German one that got away …. M&S Palataia Pinot Noir £10. An affordable one ….