Meyer-Nakel - Blue Slate Pinot Noir 2022

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Producer	Meyer-Nakel
Country	Germany
Region	Ahr
Varietal	Pinot Noir
Vintage	2022
Sku	12014154
Size	750ml

 

This dense, concentrated expression comes from 100% Pinot Noir grown on blauschiefer (blue slate) soils on Dernauer’s steepest slopes. Berries are destemmed and crushed with maceration lasting for about 20 days. Elevagé occurs in mostly used barriques for 11 month. The stony create a mineral wine with smoky aroma of red fruits, blackberry, blueberry, red currant and dark cherry, accompanied by floral and roasting aromas. Impeccable balance between fruit, mineral, and oak here.

Sisters Meike and Dörte Näkel are the 5th generation at this pioneering Ahr Valley winery who, despite unprecedented challenges, are making some of the most compelling Pinot Noir in Germany. 

Their father, Werner, who worked as a high-school teacher of physical education and math, took over the estate in 1982. He went to Burgundy and brought back barriques, and he went into the vineyards and dropped half the crop. 'He was seen as crazy,' says Meike. 'No one at the time was thinking of quality production.' In 1989 Werner won a prize for his 1987 vintage. Step by step, Meyer Näkel progressed. Together with wife Claudia, Werner gradually expanded the wine estate to its current size, and got involved in numerous other initiatives and projects. Werner worked very early on to ensure that his two daughters, Meike and Dörte, could follow in his footsteps. Both sisters initially completed training as vintners, then went on to study for a degree in wine cultivation in Geisenheim before gradually taking over the operation of the wine estate.

Meike and Dörte maintain the Meyer-Näkel estate’s focus on quality red wine. “As the 5th generation, we live the tradition of winegrowing in our family. During that time, viticulture and cellar management have undergone massive changes. Today we have great technical possibilities for cultivating our steep slopes, but our work in the cellar is still very much handcraft,” Dörte shares. They strive to make the terroir of their steep Ahr slopes tangible in their mineral-laden wines. Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully selected, and the work in the cellar focuses exclusively on gently preserving this high level of quality.

Like many wineries in the Ahr, Meyer-Näkel focuses mainly on Pinot Noir (or as it’s known locally, Spätburgunder). The deep valley of craggy rocks along the Ahr River perfectly positions vines to catch as much sunlight as possible, providing additional warmth and sun exposure in one of Germany’s most northerly winegrowing regions. The unique microclimate is reflected in Meyer-Näkel’s red wines – fruitiness and full body in the foreground, and a slight herbaceousness and minerality on the palate. The estate also produces Frühburgunder, a mutation of Pinot Noir that was considered extinct until the 1970’s but successfully revived. Frühburgunder has many similar properties to Pinot Noir but matures earlier and typically produces softer wines with lower acidity.