Tasting Notes

Henkenberg wines are always very balanced and harmonious. They show an excellent ratio of acidity, tannins and extract. In addition, they have a ton of fruity and spicy flavors. This variety of aromas also represents the variety of the soil on the Henkenberg. In the warm 2017 vintage, a large part was fermented with whole bunch in order to preserve the pure pinot aroma. The quality of the tannins is high and the wine is velvety, but still storable. The intense berry taste is typical for the vintage. 

Vinyard, Soil

The Henkenberg denomination stretches out on an exposed ridge between Oberrotweil and Burkheim towards the west. The soil mainly consists of weathered volcanic rock, garnet and loess in some places. Its coarse composition made up of different layers offers ideal ground for growing deep rooting vines. The Henkenberg has a south and southwest exposure. It is named for being the site of the gallows in medieval times.

Style

dry

Varietals / Clone

100% Pinot noir (Spätburgunder), small and mixed-berried clones

Winemaking

The average yield for this wine is around 40 hectoliters per hectare. The grapes are fermented with 50 % of their stems. After meticulous sorting of the grapes the mash starts an open fermentation process with its natural yeasts at temperatures between 25º and 33º C. During this process tannins and color are released from the skins through frequent pumpovers of the skin cap. The wines usually ferment for 14 days. Once the fermentation comes to an end, they are pressed and filled into used burgundy style oak barrels. The wood for these barrels is won from our own trees in the Kaiserstuhl and shipped to selected Tonneleries in Burgundy for processing. After aging in new oak for an average of 12 months the wine is bottled without filtration. Hence some turbidity may occur, which however adds to the wines complexity and aging potential.

Analytical details

Residual sugar g/L: 0,2 | Total Acidity g/L: 5,7 | Alcohol Vol. %: 13,0

Meal suggestion

Venison roast with a jus of truffles and shallots, turnip cabbage and fried potatoes Ragout of pheasant, braised in pinot noir with spiced tomatoes and risotto