Vogelsang Spätburgunder GG VDP Grosse Lage 2022 1500ml Magnum

Steffen Christmann describes his ideal as powerful yet elegant, with perfect balance. This Pinot Noir stays true to that: dark forest berries and ripe cherry carry the wine, the texture remains silky, the frame slender. The 1500ml bottle slows the maturation and gives the 2022 vintage more time.

Vogelsang is, alongside IDIG, Meerspinne and Ölberg-Hart, one of the estate's VDP.GROSSE LAGEN. The soils of the Palatinate alternate between variegated sandstone, limestone and terraced gravel, giving each wine a distinct character. The estate in Gimmeldingen has existed since 1798; today Steffen Christmann, president of the VDP since 2007, and his daughter Sophie Christmann, trained in Geisenheim with stints in Bordeaux and Australia, run the estate together.

Spätburgunder, the German variant of Pinot Noir. Of the 17 hectares, 70 percent is planted with Riesling, the rest with Spätburgunder and a little Weissburgunder; the estate produces exclusively single-vineyard wines. Since 2002 the estate has farmed organically, and biodynamically since 2003: horn manure, horn silica and compost preparations replace synthetic chemistry, with work guided by the lunar calendar. The roots reach deeper, and the wines show more tension.

Juicy and clearly defined, with fine-grained tannin and lively acidity. Raspberry, violet and a restrained spiciness linger into a mineral-tinged finish. Dry, 13.0% vol.

With duck breast in red wine jus, roast venison loin in an herb crust or lamb loin with rosemary. A porcini risotto also suits this wine's cool, restrained style.

Certified by respekt-BIODYN and EU organic, not Demeter. Christmann is a member of respekt-BIODYN and La Renaissance des Appellations, and ranks among the international elite of the biodynamic movement.