WTN: Spätburgunder (Koch, Wasenhaus, Wehrheim)

2020 Holger Koch Pinot Noir *
Juicy straightforward Spätburgunder berries with those ‘rustic’ porky spicy notes on the finish that remind you we’re not in France. Not a blockbuster and nothing to inspire reverie, but a solid showing with dinner.

2021 Holger Koch Pinot Noir ***
Tangy cool lean and linear. Yes, it’s 2021. Fills in just a bit with air, but it mainly functions as a solid showing with dinner.

2020 Wasenhaus Vulkan Spätburgunder
Delicious juicy berries in a silky almost-velvety frame. Exactly the Clear Wine Juice that one expects from Wasenhaus, with some nice focused texture that could perhaps evolve over time? Would be curious to see if it unfolds, although not a ton of material or depth present, even given the Pinot Noir idiom. But what do I know. It was tasty now.

2021 Wasenhaus Spätburgunder
The basic bottling and such a great showing. Elegant and digestible (11.5%), with the trembling pale fresh fruit and delicate structure. Always lively lovely clean and clear, with so much energy and enough fruit to make it interesting. An excellent representation of the style.

2017 Dr. Wehrheim Kastanienbusch Köppel Spätburgunder
Purchased at the winery a few weeks ago, and for my tastes this is ready. Juicy, earthy, autumnal and porky. The structure is resolved and it can accompany your meal nicely, but not much more for me to day.

2020 Dr. Wehrheim Sonnenschein Spätburgunder
This on the other hand, is a very nice wine. Also purchased at the winery a few weeks ago. LF recently sent out an offer and despite my (eternal) skepticism, his enthusiasm was (mostly) warranted.

Lovely deep rich nose with many savory and fruity elements to ponder. That follows through on the suave and ‘full’ bodied palate (of course relatively-speaking) with lots of layers. But also gorgeous tension and energy. The earthy/leafy/brothy flavors on the edge remind you that it’s Spätburgunder and not Burgundy. I don’t love those notes, but I suppose one can’t fault it for being what it is!

Such a different style from the Wasenhaus, but both are good, and that’s what makes wine so interesting and fun.

[David M. Bueker]

You may have pinpointed my issue with Spatburgunder. Every bottle I open (save a couple from Fürst) has included a meaty element that I don’t much care for in Pinot.

You may have pinpointed my issue with Spatburgunder. Every bottle I open (save a couple from Fürst) has included a meaty element that I don’t much care for in Pinot.

That's fair. It's probably a combination of the clonal material and learning to work with the vines. I could be wrong, but I don't think German winemakers have the same body of knowledge around Spätburgunder that they do with Riesling.

Of course not every bottling will show those notes. The more refined 'Burgundian' examples (like those from Fürst, or Holger Koch) will sometimes get enough proper ripeness and sophisticated elevage to avoid the rustic meaty elements. And, the Natural Wine Juice examples (like Wasenhaus) can also avoid it. But, it is still often lurking just around the corner! And when one is outside Germany with many other options to purchase, it's tough. Depends on tastes.

Very interesting post and set of notes Rahsaan. I just wish I could find some wines like this here in AB.

Thanks for interesting notes (and discussion). My Spatburgunder experience is so limited that I can only learn!

Excellent reading from a Calgary pal!!

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Excellent reading from a Calgary pal!!

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