Anning Pinot Noir 2020

Dark cherry red with light and violet reflections. The nose is densely packed with spice: juniper, red and black pepper and generous cedarwood, joined by star anise, cinnamon and speculoos spice. Morello cherry, plum and plenty of sweet cherry sweeten the aroma, while dark chocolate and ethereal liquorice sit underneath. With air, the fruit shifts towards elderberry, joined by notes of coriander and fennel seed.

The vines stand in Gumpoldskirchen in the Braun and Stocknarrn vineyards, at 240 to 270 metres above sea level. The subsoil is a highly calcareous sedimentary soil interspersed with limestone gravel. The two vineyards were planted 12 and 15 years ago, with a yield of 25 hectolitres per hectare. 2020 began dry, then rain arrived at regular intervals from May onwards, with no extreme heat. As a result, the grapes stayed perfectly healthy right through to August.

Pinot Noir, hand-harvested on 10 and 16 September 2020 into 20-kilo crates. The whole, unpressed bunches went into the press with their stems, then fermented spontaneously for two weeks in a 2,200-litre oak wooden fermenter at a maximum of 29 °C. This was followed by twelve months in 300-litre oak barrels and six months in large oak casks. Bottled in August 2022 without filtration.

The entry is silky, enveloping the palate. Very lively acidity lifts the fruit and gives the wine a drinkability and elegance one wouldn't expect after such a nose. The spice remains pronounced, while the silky texture lends it finesse and a cool impression.

Braised pork cheeks with celery purée and glazed baby carrots, rosé-cooked duck breast with orange sauce and fennel, or beetroot gratin with mint, walnuts, feta and harissa served with a cucumber-yoghurt salad.

Fred Loimer took over the Gumpoldskirchen estate in 2004, converted it to biodynamic farming in 2006, and co-founded respekt-BIODYN the following year.