2016 Keller Burgel Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) Grosses Gewachs

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Barrel sample. 28 hl/ha. 20% whole bunch. 60% 2nd-use barrels, 40% 3rd use. Will be bottled in July 2018. Includes some German clones. Muschelkalk soils.
Translucent cherry red. The most beautiful red-fruit aroma but there’s also a light spice and a savoury serious character to balance the flirtatious fruit. Luscious red cherry on the palate and so fresh and silky. Utterly gorgeous and elegant. There’s depth and structure but the tannins are so fine that the structure is all hidden by the fruit. Beautifully built and long. Opens in the glass to a more scented, almost floral character, finely fresh. Moreish and complete. The word ‘slender’ comes to mind. Klaus Peter Keller says, ‘For me this is a red Riesling … If you have great land, you don’t need new barrels.’
17.5/20 points
Julia Harding MW - jancisrobinson.com

The 2016 Bürgel pinot noir is absolutely superb and goes to show just how good one can make a pinot noir from German clones if the vines are old and the elevage is gentle enough to allow the fruit and soil tones to take center stage. The bouquet is superb, wafting from the glass in a complex mix of red berries, black cherries, woodsmoke, bitter chocolate, chalky and a nice touch of fresh herb tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium-full, tangy and nicely sappy at the core, with lovely focus and grip, fine-grained, seamless tannins and a long, tangy and beautifully balanced finish. This wine is already showing lovely complexity out of the blocks and is going to be excellent.
93+ points
John Gilman - A View From The Cellar