Villa Wolf Pinot Noir

The Villa Wolf estate (founded as J.L. Wolf) lies in the picturesque village of Wachenheim in the Pfalz region in Germany. It is named after the beautiful Italianate Villa which was built in 1843 in an era of great success for this region. Ernst Loosen of the Dr. Loosen estate in the Mosel area took over the winery in 1996. His idea was to bring the experience in Riesling winemaking from the Mosel to the Pfalz, as well as producing wines from grapes that are typical for the Pfalz area, such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Dornfelder.

Since 2011, Patrick Moellendorf and Sumi Gebauer have brought renewed energy and focus to the viticulture and winemaking at Villa Wolf, and they have even applied for organic certification for the estate vineyards, which is a two year process. They met at Dr. Loosen, where they both finished their apprenticeships and were eager to bring their knowledge to Villa Wolf. Their concept of making extraordinary wines in the estate vineyards lies in sustainable, organic vineyard practices combined with gentle handling of the fruit and traditional, minimalist winemaking. Their knowledge and devotion has helped catapult the entry level Villa Wolf varietal wines ahead in terms of quality, consistency and varietal correctness. In addition to that you can find Riesling gems from single vineyards around Wachenheim, Forst and Ruppertsberg, that reflect the sandy soils with instances of basalt and limestone, showing the authentic and pure terroir of the Pfalz.

Vineyards

The Pfalz is a very warm and sunny region, often called “the Tuscany of Germany,” so Pinot varieties do well here.

Tasting Notes

Pinot Noir has a long tradition in the Pfalz region, where it is known as Spätburgunder. The Villa Wolf Pinot Noir is warm and medium-bodied, with a firm acid structure. Its bright black-cherry fruit is juicy, ripe, and forward, with a spicy midpalate and lingering finish. A minimum of twelve months of aging in used French oak barriques gives the wine a smoky depth and a nice touch of earthy tannins. It’s an excellent, approachable red wine for everyday dining.