Crazy Low Yields (Lalou/Ledy Levels)
A Protege of Ziereisen (Wines Made in the Ziereisen Cellar)
Huge Ebullient Pinot Nose (Sappy Berries and Spice)
Stacked on the Palate with Perfect Busting Tiny Berry Fruit
- Astonishing Purity
- Soaring Inner Mouth Aromas
If You Want An Allocation in Future Years, This Is Your Shot
I got a new Pinot star in Germany. Oh yes. I got tiny quantities (a few cases of the 13s and 14s) and
Max Geitlinger came at the recommendation of the same person who recommended Marbleous in Winningen (being shipped imminently) My visit with him was one of my favorite visits of the trip last August. I arrived in the small village of Egerten and Max was waiting for me. I told him what I usually like to do when I visit growers for the first time. See some vineyards, go to the cellar and then taste. That's the best way to do it and with a new winery that is the only way. We went to a few vineyards and they all were just perfect. Max uses no herbicides or insecticides and is firmly in the respect nature camp when it comes to his vineyard work. He has very, very small yields. Ledy/Lalou like. He makes one Pinot Noir, a Muller Thurgau and two and maybe now 3 Gutedels (Chasselas). He also has a vineyard where he has planted Merlot which seems very promising. There's also some Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunièr). When I saw the Merlot vineyard and hadn't tasted any of Max's wines I was kind of like, why do we need more Merlot? But after tasting his wines I am so excited for this vineyard to mature so I can offer the wine.
Tasting Max's wines was just a revelation. It might have been the happiest I've been this entire year (2017). No joke. Max makes his wines at the cellar of Hanspeter Ziereisen who is also a good friend of his. I can't think of another person better to learn from than Hanspeter Ziereisen. These wines remind me of Hanspeter's Pinots except they maybe are even more focused and linear. The style here is restraint, purity, freshness and linearity. These are straight as an arrow. I was blown away by these and I know all of you will be. Not only because the wines are great but because we are living in the Golden Age of German Pinot Noir. It's like Burgundy in the 30s!
The 2015 Max Geitlinger Pinot Noir for $39.99 a bottle today on a 4-Pack is an insane wine that I think will age wonderfully. Of course it will drink well young. But this wine is stacked. Just a stunning, stunning wine.
The nose. Great great Pinot. Big Pinot nose. Very ebullient and expressive. So many light yet vivid red cherries. This wine is firmly in the red fruit camp. Sick, sick, sick nose with amazing purity and depth of aroma. Almost a honeyed aspect develops with air. Loads and loads of spice. Sappy berry/cherry aromas with such detail and purity it's not even believable this can come from a tiny estate in an area no one has ever heard of. You can smell the nose and smell all the hard work Max puts in in the vineyard.
The palate is just stacked. Outrageous palate density. Structure like a brilliant unique piece of architecture. Something like a Gehry. The fruit is so gorgeous and so restrained yet also so sweet and full. The vintage lifts the fruit as 13 and 14 were a tad more restrained. Explosive palate with amazing tiny berry intensity. The low yields lead to the amazing fruit intensity and sweetness. You can tell every grape is perfect, tiny and dense. The purity is astonishing. The inner mouth aromas are vivid and well defined and even have some florals in there amongst all the deep cherry fruit. Color like a great red burgundy. Man is this chiseled and linear. Amazing and unlike any German Pinot I've had before. Ripe sweet velvety tannins. Undeniable freshness and purity. Such clarity and balance. Poised and balanced. A restrained flamboyance is the best way to describe this wine. It is stunning and not to be missed.
2015 Max Geitlinger Pinot Noir - $41.99 ($159.96 4-pack)
(VERY LIMITED)
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