Teutonic Tinto Part 1: Weingut Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir 2010, Landwein Oberrhein (Baden)

Thanks to the Enlightenment by Google Analytics the viewing (and maybe even reading) figures from abroad are constantly increasing on my blog. However the domestic ones seem to stagnate a bit. As a result I came up with an idea! 

Ohh, before I forget! Thanks everybody for reading my blog! I know it can be pretty challenging to read these weird posts without any proper orthography, comprehensibility and definitely without a lot of useful input! Well, I guess you got accustomed to my deficient blather anyway! So thanks very much again!!!

So, where did I interrupt myself? Ahh, okay … That’s why I’ve decided to dare a little experiment, which might bore most of you guys in Germany. The experiment’s name is: Teutonic Tintos! In these reoccurring posts I’d like to introduce a couple of German Reds, mostly Pinot Noirs, to my international audience. That is probably the only categorization I am intending right now. I suppose you will find Pinots and a few others from entry-level to expensive high-end products, from well known big-shots to relatively unknown dark horses and so on! So let’s start this series with an entry level Pinot Noir from an “almost” not so well known producer. Well, okay even Janice Robinson got this winery on her radar. So, well … whatever, probably not that unknown ;-)

It is the Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir Basis 2010 from Baden!

Enderle & Moll is an approx. 2 ha sized „garage winery“ on the southern slopes of the Ortenau in Baden. The winery was established in 2007 by two friends: Sven Enderle und Florian Moll. As far as I know a not so common approach to winemaking in Germany. What else to know? Organic cultivation took place right from the start and the switch to bio-dynamics isn’t in a distant future. All their wines are wild fermented and the ageing takes place in used Dujac barriques. Oh, and one bad news: The availability is very limited! If you see bottles – grab for them!!!

The colour of their entry-level Pinot was really unusual. It appeared very bright. Almost like a rosé wine. Besides that it seemed to have slight red-brown-watery reflections and plenty of transparency. So far, maybe not that intriguing!?! This premature assessment changed with the nose! I got an intensely floral and strawberry fruity nose! A very profound and gently perfumed impresssion! A great impact combined with a very lean style! The taste could be described as extraordinary lean, but complex and dense, with precise strawberry juice-like (no disrespect) flavours, some decent mineral touch (especially for a 12 Euro wine), little alcohol and a pretty long lasting finish. Really great mouth feel, already decent smoothness and invigorating acid (right now, maybe a bit too much), too. I can’t help myself. I really like it, although I’d consider myself as a more “Heavier-Darker-Deeper-Mushroomier-Earthier-DarkCherryFlavoured-Pinot-Adorer”. Perhaps a little bit substance is lacking here and there. I see not problem, because all further Pinots: Village, the Bundsandstein (Red Sandstone) and Muschelkalk (Shell Limestone) need a bit more air up there in the skies ;-).

To the downside: I am very sure it won’t please everybody. Some people might get deluded by its filigree, delicate structure and super fresh fruitful touch. But there is far more left in the second and third layer. Absolutely unusual Pinot Noir. In Germany it might be slightly comparable with the much more expensive (and denser + complex) Pinot Noir from Hirschhornhof in Pfalz. In Burgundy I surely see some resemblances to the Bourgogne or Saint-Romain wines from Domaine de Chassorney. Most definitely a delightful and surprising Pinot experience. Perfect for summer temperatures and other temperatures! Really decent Pinot Noir - very close to "very decent"!