2020 Franz Keller Steinriese Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs

The 2020 Franz Keller Steinriese Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs is the flagship red from one of Baden’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir specialists. Sourced from a tiny, high-lying parcel in Oberbergen’s Bassgeige 1er Cru, this wine showcases old Burgundy Pinot Noir clones rooted in volcanic soils rich in iron oxide and streaked with limestone. The result is a supremely elegant, mineral-driven Spätburgunder that many critics, including Robert Parker’s team, regard as Keller’s most exciting Pinot to date.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2020 Steinriese Spätburgunder presents a luminous, translucent ruby hue, typical of finely structured, cool-climate Pinot Noir. The nose is initially restrained and reductive in its youth, then opens to a lifted, almost airy bouquet of wild red berries, cranberries and redcurrants, laced with notes of iodine, seaweed, and a subtle herbal edge. The volcanic and iron-rich soils translate into a distinctly saline, almost ‘jod-like’ aromatic profile that feels both seductive and highly refined. On the palate, this is all about finesse and tension rather than sheer weight. The texture is silk-smooth and filigreed, with a precise, cool red-fruited core wrapped in fine, chalky tannins. Juicy acidity gives the wine remarkable energy, while the concentration remains poised and elegant rather than opulent. The finish is long, taut and salty, leaving a lingering impression of mineral freshness and vibrant red fruit. While already compelling with proper aeration, this Grosses Gewächs has the structure and balance to evolve beautifully for 10–15 years or more in a good cellar, gaining complexity and tertiary nuance over time.

Production
Steinriese sits high on the slopes of Oberbergen (around 300–350 metres above sea level) in the Kaiserstuhl, Germany’s warmest and sunniest winegrowing area. Here, old Burgundy Pinot Noir clones are planted at very low yields on volcanic soils loaded with iron oxide and shot through with limestone, giving both ripeness and a striking mineral backbone. The vineyard’s elevation and exposure ensure excellent diurnal swings, preserving acidity and aromatic precision even in this warm region. At Franz Keller, only carefully selected, hand-harvested grapes from their top parcels are used for the Grosses Gewächs bottlings, with strict sorting to keep only the finest fruit. Vinification is classically Burgundian in spirit: gentle extraction to respect the delicacy of the fruit, followed by maturation in the estate’s best barrels, where each parcel is allowed to express its own character, potential and finesse.

Food & Serving
This elegant yet powerful Spätburgunder pairs beautifully with refined dishes that echo its delicacy and umami-rich character: roasted duck or guinea fowl, veal tenderloin, pigeon, or lamb saddles with herbs all work particularly well. It is also outstanding with mushroom-based dishes (morels, chanterelles, porcini), truffle-inflected cuisine, and earthy root vegetables, as well as aged, semi-hard cheeses. Serve at 14–16°C to highlight its freshness and aromatic detail. Young bottles benefit significantly from 1–2 hours of decanting to allow the initially reductive nose to unfurl into its full, complex bouquet.

Producer
Weingut Franz Keller is one of the reference estates of the Kaiserstuhl in Baden, renowned for its mastery of the so‑called Burgundersorten—Pinot varieties and Chardonnay. All of Keller’s vineyards lie in this volcanic hill range, long considered Germany’s warmest and sunniest winegrowing zone, where volcanic bedrock is often topped with fertile loess. The estate has focused intensely on Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), working with old Burgundy clones to craft wines that have earned broad international acclaim and frequent top mentions in Grosses Gewächs tastings in Wiesbaden. Parcels such as Schlossberg, Kirchberg, Eichberg, “Im Leh” and “Kähner” are treated as true grand crus, with meticulous vineyard work and élevage in top-quality barrels, positioning Franz Keller as one of Germany’s benchmark producers for world‑class Pinot Noir.

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