Enderle & Moll 2017 Pinot Noirs!

4/17/19 -

Although it's been a few years since we've been able to visit Sven Enderle and Florian Moll, and (truth be told) we rarely get to taste through their whole line-up since a scant amount comes over to the States; the arrival of their wines is always exciting, because we trust implicitly that they will do the right thing.

By right thing, we mean careful stewardship of their vineyards through organic and biodynamic farming (some parcels with vines more than 60 years old), and hand-harvesting tiny yields of high-quality grapes. In the cellar the right things continue: use of foot-treading and basket press, spontaneous fermentation, neutral Burgundy barrels, bottling without fining/filtration, and low amounts of sulfur. Their white wines have been gaining traction, but their Pinot Noirs are what truly put them on the map. 

Enderle & Moll's 5.5 hectares of vineyards are mostly on colored sandstone and limestone: two terroirs that impart distinct characteristics on the finished wine. In theory, Buntsandstein gives power and structure, Muschelkalk gives focus and lift. Aside from the separate bottlings of 'Buntsandstein' and 'Muschelkalk', we also have* their Pinot Noir 'a Trois' and 'Ida', along with perennial store favorite 'Liaison' (a mix of both soil types, also available in Magnum). Their entry-level Pinot Noir, 'Basis', should arrive on the shelves in May.

German Pinot Noir is still an under-appreciated category in the US, and we are incredibly lucky that we've had the privilege to follow these two talented and truly intuitive winemakers for many vintages now. While we would love to have tasting notes available, we haven't had a chance to try more than the 'Liaison', as the other wines are so limited. That being said the 'Liaison' was showing a spectacular energy and jewel-toned purity of fruit. We cannot wait to try the rest!! Cari Bernard