The 2019 Vintage
- Stunning Fruit Density
- Remarkable Fruit Clarity
- These Are Must Buys for Pinot Lovers. Must Buys.
2019 Thörle Saulheimer Kalkstein Spätburgunder
- 95 Points, Stuart Pigott, $24.99 on Case Pricing
- Amazingly Deep Nose
- Dark Tea and Cherries
- Violets
- Layered, Delicate and Intense
- Palate: Hauntingly Great
- Incredible Density
- Sweet, Layered, Structured and Complex
- God's Licorice
- Incredible Sap and Structure
- Top Tier Deliciousness
- 1er Cru Seriousness as This Aerates
- Not Yet Allocated (Holle and Probstey Are)
The Dramatic Rise of the Thorle Brothers
The Dramatic Fall of Our Allocations
Except This Wine (So Far)
So we all know the story of the Thorle Brothers.
- They inherited great terroir and their parents had been selling the fruit.
- They turned the estate around and are making some of the best Pinot Noir in Germany.
- They stood toe to toe with some very good 1er Cru Burgundies at a blind tasting of critics - this a decade or so ago before they were nearly as good as they are now.
- Holle 2019 and 2018 got 99 points. It's now allocated. As is Probstey.
These guys are the new, young faces of German pinot noir. They've got the branding. They've got the business skills. Obviously, they make great wine. Prices are going to continue to rise and allocations are going to continue to shrink.
Kalkstein in 2019
2019 was a brilliant vintage in Germany for both reds and whites. Of course Probstey and Holle were even better than usual. But Kalkstein went from very good to great.
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And it will age well for a decade or more.
So I have case pricing - you almost never get QPRs like this for a borderline elite version of a normally very good wine in a great year.
The Wine
The 2019 Thörle Saulheimer Kalkstein Spätburgunder can be had for $25.99 a bottle on a 4-pack and $24.99 on a case. This is just the best 1er Cru value maybe ever. This got a 95 from Piggott and it's so unreal in 19 because of how good the fruit quality is in Germany for Pinot Noir. This wine has always been a QPR beast, but in 2019 that is higher than it should be. It's 1961 Maris hitting 61 home runs. It's Ted Williams hitting .400. It's one of those types of wines. I've tasted some 3 tier Pinot at $26.99 and believe me you are not getting this level of quality or anything near it it's not even funny.
Amazingly deep nose. So deep. So classy. Dark tea and cherries. Violets. Layered, delicate and intense. Wow this nose smells like grand cru. It's seriously the best nose I've ever smelled on this wine. It's so refined and vivid. Loads of woodsy aromas, woodland berry, spice and a big mineral element but is in the background as the fruit is popping on the nose Succulent and so juicy with enormous lift and freshness. After air the nose gets more brambly. On day 2, really lovely. Spice. Loamy minerals and terrific lift. Gorgeous earthiness.
Palate is sweet, layered, structured and complex. This needs air but man is it all there. Big vivacious tannins and incredible sap and structure. Fresh and dense. What energy and depth. Big clamps down on the finish. Really long. Palate is hauntingly great. Amazing supple and elegant mouthfeel but with a brilliant red cherry, cranberry, pure and grippy fruits. After air, palate gets even sweeter but high acid and nice sour cherries to counterbalance. With air it gets sweeter, deeper and gains more cut. Cuts a swath across the palate. Great. Long finish. On day 2, palate is lacey, concentrated and so sappy. Awesome depth and grip. Really long and pure. Terrific velvet tannins.
Below is the 95 Point Stuart Pigott rating
"Hold on to your hat! Stunning nose of black cherry and blackberry with hints of spice and vanilla. Breathtaking depth and concentration, but also great vitality and precision. The fine tannins and minerality build and build at the very long finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."- 95 Points, Stuart Pigott
2019 Thorle Saulheimer Kalkstein Spatburgunder - $27.99 ($103.96 4-Pack, $299.88 {$24.99!})
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