We are delighted to offer a small parcel of superb quality Pinot Noir from one of Germany's top winemakers, Rainer Schnaitmann, from his vineyards in Württemberg, just outside Stuttgart. 

Rainer's 2021 Spätburgunder Lämmler 'GG' (95 pts, WA) is a real alternative to grand cru red burgundy, at £320 per six, whilst his 2022 Pinot Noir 'Steinwiege' is cool, classical and great value at £110 per six.

We arrived in Stuttgart at the end of June and were met by Rainer at the airport, where he proceeded to pour us some of his (very superior) sparkling Sekt in a large Zalto glass, before we had even left the pick-up zone.  His family winery is a few miles outside of the automotive city of Stuttgart, with some of his vines on rolling slopes looking across to the city, and the headquarters of Mercedes and Porsche. 

The winery itself is in the village of Fellbach, at the heart of the Württemberg region.  Rainer's family have been growing vines here for 600 years, but it is only since he took over in 1997 that the estate has focused on quality.  

Through constant innovation and experimentation (including conversion first to organics and then to biodynamics) Rainer has become known as one of Germany's top winemakers, with his Lämmler Spätburgunder* making it into James Sucking's 'Top 100 wines of the world' in 2020.  The Lämmler vineyard is a 'Grosses Gewachs' or 'Great Growth', Germany's equivalent of a grand cru.  

*Spätburgunder is a German name for Pinot Noir, translating as 'late Burgundy', reflecting the tendency of the clones here to ripen later than their French counterparts.

The fermentation takes place in mixture of oak barrels and casks, from 225 to 1800 litres (most are 300 litres) and is spontaneous, using only naturally occurring yeasts.  We tasted a barrel sample of the Lämmler over lunch with Rainer at his home.  Medium-bodied at 13% abv, it had wonderful energy and freshness, a saline, mineral finish, fine acidity and complex tannins, providing amazing structure and balance.  Rainer was educated as an architect and is a classical pianist, and it's easy to imagine a preoccupation with structure and counterpoint expressing itself when tasting wines at this level.

Rainer Schnaitmann among his vines, overlooking Stuttgart

The 2022 Pinot Noir 'Steinwiege' (12.5% abv) is fermented in the same manner and aged for 18 months in 300 litre oak casks, before bottling without filtration or sulphuring.  The '22 showed intense dark cherry, blueberry, earth and juniper on the nose, with impressive tannic structure and the kind of fine, racy acidity that we always look for in red burgundy.   At just over £25 per bottle with all taxes, this is superb value for such a beautifully constructed wine.

We have just a handful of cases of Lämmler and very limited stock of the Steinwiege available, so please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to order.

Offered in bond, available for delivery in August.