Ahrweiler Forstberg 2023

A Pinot Noir that favours precision over power: 11.0% ABV, fine-grained tannin, bright acidity. Youthful and still reserved, yet its balance is already noticeable.

The Forstberg stretches into the valley of the Elig, facing south-west, at 120 to 190 metres. The soil is defined by greywacke and slate, in places with loamy loess, while the topsoil is strongly clay-rich. Julia Bertram and Benedikt Baltes farm around 4 hectares of steep vineyards in Dernau, Ahrweiler and Mayschoss, entirely organic since 2020 and following biodynamic principles; yields lie between 30 and 40 hectolitres per hectare.

Pure Pinot Noir. The fruit is meticulously sorted, the grapes ferment spontaneously in open stainless-steel tanks, and the wine is aged in used barriques and half-barriques of Franconian oak crafted by German coopers. Chaptalization has not been practised for a long time, ageing is deliberately reductive, with no fining or filtration. The only addition is a minimal amount of sulphur before bottling. The Forstberg spends two winters in barrel.

The nose remains comparatively shy and fine: ripe wild strawberries, dark raspberries, a touch of cherry and pomegranate, plus a hint of vanilla, without any oak coming to the fore. On the palate, fine-grained tannin with a firm core, juicy, predominantly dark fruit, pleasant fullness carried by bright, lively acidity and mineral tension.

Roast duck breast, saddle of venison with lingonberries, sautéed chanterelles or stuffed mushrooms, as well as mild, semi-ripened soft cheese.

Julia Bertram and Benedikt Baltes bottled their first vintage in 2014 and were named "Discovery of the Year". In 2021, the Ahr flood inundated the cellar in Dernau, sweeping away barrels; they rebuilt the winery. The steep vineyards demand hand labour, with some parcels reaching gradients of up to 70 percent.