Altes Schlößchen Pinot Noir 2018

“Charm is one of Pinot Noir’s great assets” is a line from 'Wine Grapes', a dense guide to 1,368 grape varieties from Jancis Robinson and her colleagues. Charm has worked well for this little thin-skinned grape; wine connoisseurs from around the world drink more of it every year. But did you know that after France and the US, Germany is the country growing the most?

Pinot Noir (called Spätburgunder in German) has been cultivated in parts of Germany for centuries. However, while French Pinot Noir has always been acclaimed for its quality and complexity, in Germany, with its cooler climate, it struggled to ripen. As a result, until recently German Pinots were considered at best unremarkable and at worst insipid.

In the last several decades German Pinot Noir has come into its own. Warming temperatures have helped winemakers, who have also improved their vineyard and winemaking techniques, create better wines every year. So why don’t we see more of it in our wine stores? Because it’s hands down the favourite red wine for Germans who consume most of the country’s production, leaving little for export.

Altes Schlößchen Pinot Noir is lighter in colour, body and tannins than the Pinots we see from warmer climates, but with its abundant flavours of raspberries and strawberries, no less charming. This style of Pinot makes the perfect after-work drink on a Wednesday, with or without some cheese and crackers on the side.