2020 Wasenhaus Spätburgunder Kanzel

WINEMAKER: Christoph Wolber & Alexander Götze
REGION: Baden, GER
VARIETAL: Pinot Noir
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

The Kanzel is a site high up on the Ehrenstetter Ölberg, above the Möhlin; the soil here is clay and limestone. The Kanzel is a part of the old Ölberg with a slightly more eastern exposition; thus the site is a bit colder and less exposed to the sun. Half of the vines here are a French selection massale planted by Dr. Henrik Möbitz (the entire parcel Möbitz farmed was sold to Wasenhaus); the other half of the vines are older German clones. Fermented half with whole clusters, with a bit of carbonic fermentation and then transferred to an open-vat for a classic fermentation with minimal punchdowns. The wine was aged in mainly used French oak barrels for about 18 months.

Weingut Wasenhaus is located in Baden, Germany. Christoph Wolber and Alexander Götze met in Burgundy during their wine studies at the local school in Beaune. At the same time, they were both working full time in some of the largest biodynamic estates in Burgundy such as those of Pierre Morey, Leflaive, Comte Armand... Shortly after becoming roommates, they worked out the plan to return in Germany and set up their cellar in Baden. In Christoph’s home region, they looked for suitable plots and selected them carefully: one on the slopes of the Ehrenstettener Oelberg, and the other in the Ehrenkirchener Kirchberg. In recent years, they have bought several plots, some with very old vines. They grow their grapes, but also buy grapes from friends’ companies with a similar philosophy that are used in the production of Gutedel. Their first vintage came out in 2016 and it was a great success. Christoph and Alexander perform gentle extractions, with very little punching down during fermentation, and occasionally stirring to ensure healthy fermentation from the start. Sulfur is used judiciously and is only applied after the malolactic fermentation. The wines are all aged in oak barrels.