News & Events
Top Positions for German Pinot Noir Among the World's Leading Wines
DWI
Arranged by the German Wine Institute, an internationally renowned jury of wine experts tested top quality Pinot Noirs from ten different wine growing nations in London. The result of this blind tasting: Seven out of the selected Top 10 Pinot Noirs came from Germany.
The best German Pinot Noir in this contest was the 2008 Spätburgunder, Saulheimer Hölle, from the Thörle estate, located in Saulheim, Rheinhessen (rank 3).
First and second rank went to Oregon and California:
- 2009 Pinot Noir Eola Amity Hills, from Antica Terra winery, Oregon (USA),
- 2008er Pinot Noir Isabelle, from "Au bon" winery in Climat, California (USA).
Ranks four to seven as well as ranks nine and ten went to Germany (see table below). Paul Fürst (Franken), Ziereisen (Baden) two individual wines, Gutzler (Rheinhessen), Stodden (Ahr) und Heitlinger (Baden).
Ten wine growing nations participated in this international blind wine tasting: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, France, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, and USA. (See the video: International Pinot Noir Tasting, London 2011)
The thirteen experts of the jury, among them the British wine critic Jancis Robinson as well as Master of Wine Tim Atkins, were awed by the outstanding quality and the impressive diversity of German wines.
"The experts were genuinely surpised that German Pinot Noir ('Spätburgunder') would come off so brilliantly," reported Steffen Schindler, DWI-Marketing Director of the German Wine Institute, from London. "We have consciously accepted this challenge as we have long been convinced of the international competiveness of our various Pinot Noirs," said Schindler.
"Today, our wines have impressively proved that they can well compete on an international level," said Monika Reule, DWI-Executive Manager of the German Wine Institute.
The 20 German wines, presented at the wine tasting in the London Restaurant "Texture," had been selected as early as September during a selection test, organised by the German Wine Institute, out of 380 differnt Pinot Noir wines.
In this case, the Jury consisted of the Sommeliere Christina Fischer, wine journalist Stephan Reinhardt, the Director of the International Wine Institute Alexander Kohnen, and the British wine experts Hamish Anderson as well as Tim Atkin NW, who was also in charge of selecting the international wines for the London wine tasting.
| Rank | Producer | Year | Grape Variety | Vineyard | Quality Level | |
| 3 | Winzerhof Thörle | 2008 | Spätburgunder | Hölle | QbA | |
| 4 | Vinery Rudolf Fürst | 2009 | Spätburgunder | Centgrafenberg | Qualitätswein | Großes Gewächs |
| 5 | Vinery Ziereisen | 2007 | Spätburgunder | Tafelwein | Jaspis Alte Reben | |
| 6 | Vinery Gutzler | 2008 | Pinot Noir | Westhofener Morstein | Qualitätswein | Großes Gewächs |
| 7 | Vinery Ziereisen | 2008 | Spätburgunder | Badischer Landwein | Jaspis Alte Reben | |
| 9 | Vinery Jean Stodden | 2009 | Spätburgunder | QbA | Alte Reben | |
| 10 | Vinery Heitlinger | 2009 | Pinot Noir | Königsbecher | QbA | Große Lage |