2018 Bernhard Huber Alte Reben Pinot Noir

Bernhard Huber

Germany / Baden / Bernhard Huber

Our Malterdinger Spätburgunder Alte Reben is labelled as old-vine VDP Ortswein but we think of it as a village 1er cru from our home in Malterdingen. The Pinot Noir grapes grow on weathered shell limestone, with the vines aged 20 to 45 years. After the traditional must fermentation, the 18-month maturation takes place in small first-, second- and third-use French oak barrels filled with first, two and thirds. The wine is bottled without filtration. - Julian Huber

August, 2020

Stuart Pigott

jamessuckling.com

93 points.

An elegant, mid-weight pinot noir with great balance of moderately dry tannins, bright acidity and plenty of blackberries. Nice, chalky character at the crisp, long finish. Drink or hold.

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About Bernhard Huber

The Huber winery is located in Malterdingen in the winegrowing region of Baden in the foothills of the Black Forest mountains in Germany’s deep south west. Pinot Noir has been cultivated in the village for well over 700 years, having been brought there from Burgundy by the Cistercian monks. About two-thirds of the 25 ha estate is given over to Pinot Noir, and from these vines Bernhard Huber made scintillating wines right up to his death from illness in June 2014. This gracious gentleman had taken pointers in the early days from his great friend Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac but never tried to make his Pinots taste like Burgundy, instead drawing on those ideas to express the sites around Malterdingen and surrounding villages. I was lucky enough to visit Bernhard on three or four occasions over the last five years and every time came away more and more convinced that these are world-class Pinots by any measure. Winemaking responsibilities have passed to Bernhard’s son Julian, who’s inherited his father’s passion for Baden and dedication to quality.

About

Julian Huber grew up among the vines in Malterdingen, an apprentice to the "wizard of German Pinot Noir", as Jancis Robinson's German specialist Michael Schmidt referred to Julian's father, Bernhard. Julian studied winemaking at the world-famous institute at Geisenheim in the Rheingau. He returned from his final year there to work Bernhard’s final vintage in 2013. Since Bernhard's death in 2014, Julian's taken up the winemaking mantle with aplomb, displaying the same humble energy and vision for which his father was rightly admired.