2018 Dautel Estate Spätburgunder

Region: Württemberg < Germany Grapes: Pinot Noir  Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organically grown; hand-harvested; marl and sandstone soils around Bönnigheim and Cleebronn; spontaneous native yeast fermentation; aged in barrels for six months; minimal SO2; 13% ABV Winemaker: Christian and Ernst Dautel Christian Dautel's wines invite us to reimagine Germany’s potential for producing high-quality Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir) and other local varieties. Although the family’s grape growing history goes back 500 years, Christian’s father Ernst was the first in the region to challenge the status quo and bottle his own wines. Ernst rejected the post-WWII model of producing sweet wines in bulk, thus shifting gears to a more quality oriented approach. His wines weren’t always regionally accepted, but their estate remains one of the best in Württemberg. From a young age, Christian shadowed his father in the vineyards and on family vacations to wine-growing estates in Italy and France, always adm