Benedikt Baltes
Franken, Germany
'...this is not the first time that Benedikt Baltes has come to my attention. His Spätburgunders turned my head at the Weinbörse in 2015 with their energy, purity and structure. ... I'd forgotten quite how much ready pleasure (and good value, when you look at the recent prices of certain other German wines!) his Pinot delivers.' - Jancis Robinson
Benedikt says 'It's no family winery so there’s not the usual generational conflict. We are committed to honouring the historical roots of the area, working with 100% Pinot Noir (except for a little Portugieser) it is like it was when the winery was founded. Sustainability is very important to us, so we manage our vineyards in an organic way. In addition to the absence of herbicides and chemical plant protection products, we support our vines with natural plant starch agents such as teas, soils and oils. A dozen sheep also help us to control weeds and to stimulate the soil with their natural fertilizer. We are dedicated to the fostering of permaculture in which one does not have to intervene often and which the vineyard renews itself. By that we have to do nearly everything by hand because of the steep terraces. We need up to 2500 hours per hectare per year, which is really a lot. The manual work gives us the opportunity to work gently, vine by vine. That's why we love to be winegrowers!'
It's almost impossible in the wine world to find a more driven and infectiously enthusiastic German pinot winemaker than Benedikt Baltes. He reckons that it takes 2500 person-hours per hectare per year to look after his vines and his dry stone terraces in the dramatically steep slopes of Franken! This attention to detail ekes out pure perfumed Pinot greatness from his old plantings. The wines have aged gracefully, yet even the 11-year-old GG remains youthfully vibrant. These are nothing short of captivating pinots!
Cheers, Randall
2014 Benedikt Baltes Klingenberger R Spatburgunder
RRP: $165 | 40% off: $99!
"From 40-year-old vines on terraced vineyards. Quiet nose – a tea leaf note and some wild red berries. More serious and savoury than the straight Grossheubacher and Klingenberger. Darker and a little wild. Smoky lapsang and juniper threaded in through a velvety fabric of tannins and dark cherry. Long, intense, vibrating." - Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
2016 Benedikt Baltes Bischofsberg GG Spatburgunder
RRP: $209 | 40% off: $126!
"A refined and tightly woven red with strawberries and hints of chocolate to the resolved and tight tannins. Medium body. Creamy and delicious. Complex and multidimensional." 94 points - jamessuckling.com
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"Cherries and cassis still battle it out with a bit of serious toasting on the nose, but the palate seems more approachable with soft red-berry fruit, a dash of blackcurrant, cedar spice and roasted hazelnuts. It’s all fresh and juicy almost right till the end before young sturdy tannins get a solid grip on the finish." - Michael Schmidt, jancisrobinson.com
2014 Benedikt Baltes Schlossberg GG Spatburgunder
RRP: $289 | 40% off: $176!
"If not too pronounced, the smell of freshly cut wood can provide an attractive backdrop for ripe berry fruit, and Benedikt Baltes has the knack for this fragrant combination. Although a powerful wine, his Schlossberg also manages to raise a fair amount of dust, but in the most tasteful way with mineral and spicy expression. Salty and smoky nuances add finesse." - Michael Schmidt, jancisrobinson.com
2016 Benedikt Baltes Schlossberg Spatburgunder GG
RRP: $289 | 40% off: $176!
"When your vineyard is situated at a latitude the equivalent of 700km south of Tasmania you need every bit of sunlight and warmth, and the near vertical slope of this terraced vineyard provides just that. The balance and depth to its dark fruits are excellent. 12.5% alc; cork." 95 points - James Halliday
2012 Benedikt Baltes Schlossberg GG Spatburgunder
RRP: $289 | 40% off: $176!
'An older Klingenberger Schlossberg GG bottling from 2012 shows a beautifully deep and soulful pinot that has a wealth of gently earthy ripe red berries and a mellow array of fine-boned, yet long tannin on the palate. This has a succulent array of fine, elegant and fresh fruit that pushes long.' - Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine
2013 Benedikt Baltes Terra 1261 Spatburgunder
RRP: $545 | 40% off: $325!
"The name is a reference to the era when the first red grapevines were planted on the steep slopes on Schlossberg. It’s a very special and strict selection of the best barrels, from the best ferments, from the best plots of low-yielding ancient vines. Fermented in open wooden vats before being matured in a 300L barrels. This is the most intense and precise of Benedikt's offerings. Its silky texture and expressive aromatics gives a nod to Chambolle while remaining a firmly Franken Spatburgunder." - Randall
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