Schnaitmann Pinot Noir Lämmler 2022 GG, 13%
Picture taken at Roche Bobois Stuttgart
German red wine.
A topic I neglected far too long during my intense Piemonte and Burgundy deep dive, practically ignored. Here and there an outstanding Riesling or exciting Pinot from the Palatinate and the Rheingau, so far so clear. But Stuttgart?!
A prophet has often no honor in his own country, at least in my case. How wrong I was…
What has long been known among true wine connoisseurs, I only discovered by chance through a fantastic restaurant visit. With Lämmler, Stuttgart possesses one of the best Pinot and Lemberger crus in Germany. I have walked through the vineyards countless times and essentially passed by grand cru, or GG (Großes Gewächs), as it is called in Germany. In for a penny, in for a pound. No way around it, a Stuttgart cross blind tasting of the 2022 vintage was needed. Today I present to you the winner from five winemakers: Schnaitmann Lämmler Pinot Noir 2022.
The Schnaitmann winery has existed in its current form since the 1997 vintage; that was when Rainer Schnaitmann produced the first vintage under his own label using his own three hectares of vineyards. Rainer Schnaitmann cultivates approximately 24–26 hectares in prime locations in Fellbach, Stuttgart-Uhlbach, and the Remstal, including Fellbacher Lämmler, Uhlbacher Götzenberg, Untertürkheimer Mönchberg, Schnaiter Altenberg, and Rotenberger Schlossberg.
However, the Schnaitmann family’s winemaking tradition in Fellbach dates back some 500 years, with 19 documented generations of winegrowers in the church records.
Their primary grape varieties are Burgundians (Pinot Noir/Blanc/Gris), accounting for about 40–50%, along with Lemberger (approx. 20%), Riesling (approx. 15%), Sauvignon Blanc, and smaller proportions of Trollinger, Merlot, Cabernet, and others.
Nose
What power are thou?! Wonderfully fresh, cold phenols greet the senses. It is quite likely that they also used the stems in the mash fermentation. Almost distilled blackcurrant and sour cherry dance a finely drawn tango. Adiós Nonina by Piazzola. Playful but not wild. Elegant. Herbal hints of thyme and oregano alternate with exotic patchouli, Armani lipstick, and the finest Pompona vanilla pod. The berry fruit always remains cool and ethereal. With plenty of air, fresh porcini mushrooms and a touch of cold espresso emerge. We are in Burgundy now, somewhere Grand-Cru in Beaune. A wonderfully complex bouquet.
Palate
Dried blackcurrants and sour cherries spread across the tongue with fine grained tannin and tingling acidity. Cold climate at its finest. The coolness is almost aristocratic, the wine never heavy. At the same time, the drinking flow is excellent. The tango and the sour berries gain momentum. After the first sip, you immediately want the next. The finish is medium in length and lets the fine blackcurrant linger. A lot of tension to be found in there. The wine is alive, the acidity is genuinely fun and makes it the perfect companion for game, preferably venison.
Rating
A fantastic, elegant Pinot Noir that perfectly reflects the Fellbach terroir with marl, gypsum Keuper and sandstone. Cool and at the same time sensual like a Yves Saint Laurent of the 1970s. I am not the biggest fan of ultra minimalist labels, but here the almost brutalist, straight lined Schnaitmann label blends seamlessly with the elegant, cool aesthetics of the wine into a coherent overall picture.
Ipso facto, Stuttgart is sexy!
93/100 Points
Disclaimer
For wine I use the same rating system as for spirits. 90 points are already excellent. I do not agree on the 100 point orgies of Parker and Suckling. In my eyes there must be differences between excellent bottlings and true legends, which are naturally very rare. So far only one wine has reached 99/100 for me: G. Conterno Barolo Monfortino 2010.
Being a romantic, I am always eager to finde the “perfect” wine, and will hopefully never find it.
