German Pinot Noir is having a delicious moment, highlighted last month when we punched through the country’s who’s-who. But, there was a glaring (and purposeful) regional omission: the Mosel. It's a place with enough talent to warrant its own rundown: along the Mosel River, Pinot is especially reflective of the valley’s uncanny ability to capture freshness and persistence in its wines.

With bottles landing from many of the top names this month, we’re excited to close the loop on our highlight of Deutschland’s best growers of Pinot Noir. Check the star-studed lineup of bottles below, most of which are in the US for the first time.

And, if you missed the first part from March, you can read it here.

MAX KILBURG
First Pinot!

Julian Haart's protegee has bottled his maiden Pinot and it's a complete success.

From a parcel of Pinot Noir in the Ohligsberg vineyard first planted by his father in 1987, he made only two barrels in his 2021 inaugural vintage. Like his Riesling, there is a steady confident hand in the intentional, steely reduction alongside fresh, crisp fruit. What a wine.

2021 Max Kilburg Ohligsberg Pinot Noir $48 → 

DANIEL TWARDOWSKI
The Modern Reference

When asking Die Mosel - wine bar and industry darling in the Mosel valley - who's making the best Pinot (as we did last July, pictured below), there's no hesitation in their answer: Daniel Twardowski. The Burgundy fanatic believes in Pinot Noir on schist and is sparing no expense to prove his case: cuttings from Clos de la Roche, Richebourg, Romanée St. Vivant get raised in equally stylish cooperage.

In his Hofberg vineyard location overlooking the Dhron, a tributary of the Moselle near the town of Neumagen-Dhron, fruit ripens beautifully while showing the filegreed qualities we rely on this place for. What Molitor did to the Pinot Game here 20 years ago, Twardowski is doing today.

Game changing wines.

2020 Daniel Twardowski '3rd' Pinot Noir $70 →
2020 Daniel Twardowski 'Ardoise' Pinot Noir $135 →
2020 Daniel Twardowski 'Hofberg Reserve' Pinot Noir $240 →

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JULIAN HAART
🦄🦄🦄

As much an (important) footnote as much as a release as quantities are miniscule, Julian has bottled his first estate Pinot noir as a red wine. He previously bottled the Pinot as a rose but, as the new vines mature, he warranted his first red bottling.

2021 Julian Haart Pinot Noir $110 →

FALKENSTEIN
Saar's Turn at Pinot

Falkenstein needs no intro but, what we don't talk enough about TBH are the Pinots they produce. When we first started working with the wines in 2015, the reds didn’t even go through MLF which made them a specific (ie tough) study.

But, fast forward almost a decade later, and the wines have rounded out and become fresh fruited joys - with the newest release being their most pleasurable red we’ve had from the estate.

Don’t sleep on these.

2021 Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Rotwein Trocken AP-10 $38 →

JULIEN SCHEID
New Star

Perhaps the newest name on our German shelves, young Julien Schied has taken over his family’s vines in Merle. Working regeneratively here, he's the only organic grower in the village.

He farms a small amount of Pinot Noir and ferments with partial whole bunches, which beautifully reflects the Mosel’s uncanny ability to capture freshness and persistence in its wines.

A grower we’re excited to watch.

2021 Julien Scheid Spatburgunder $39 →