Thörle Thörle Saulheim 2022 750ml

The spice of this great German pinot noir is off the scale. The red fruit and floral aromas need a moment’s aeration in the glass to catch up, but boy do they. Fantastic combination of concentration and fine tannins, with notes of cloves, licorice, dried rosemary, sage and raw meat on the medium-bodied palate. Wonderful freshness in the long, delicately chalky finish. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.

From poor and shallow limestone soils, the 2022 Saulheimer Hölle Spätburgunder is bright, fresh and aromatic on the intense and well-concentrated, juicy yet pure nose that reveals ripe cherry aromas intertwined with toasty, peppery and mocha notes. Intense on the palate yet still very young and astringent, with a serious tannin and acidity structure, this is an elegant, dense and peppery-finishing Pinot with too much cosmetics for my taste. It was bottled unfiltered with 13% stated alcohol and sealed with a Diam 30 cork. Tasted in November 2024.