Germany: Von Buhl Estate - Bone Dry Rosé 2024, Pfalz (Organic)

Grape variety: 100% Spätburgunder aka Pinot Noir. Certified organic. 12% alcohol.

Rooted in red sandstone and limestone, this vibrant German rosé gains its impressive texture through careful ageing on the lees. Aged in stainless steel and tonneaux, it offers bright notes of wild raspberry, cranberry, and citrus. Bone dry and mineral, it closes with a long, lively, and subtly spicy finish.

90 points: Highly recommended; excellent quality - "a zippy, delightfully raspberry-scented Pinot Noir rosé. Bone-dry yet deeply concentrated, with ripe, juicy blackberry and cherry flavours, it's a firmly structured sip that can stand up to colder weather and sturdier fare like game or salmon. Finishes long with a kiss of smoky spice" - Wine Enthusiast 

Von Buhl are known as a seriously good producer - being particularly highly regarded in wine trade circles - and they are one of Germany's top fine wine exporters. They are expert at making pretty much all styles at a very high level of quality, using fruit only from their own vineyards: dry white, sweet white (incredible dessert wines), rosé, red, and excellent traditional method fizz. 

In fact, Von Buhl is so highly regarded and respected that many young winemakers from all over the world have worked vintages with them, including from Burgundy and Champagne.

They have even had an ex-Champagne Bollinger cellarmaster working for them. I feel this is because, while Von Buhl is one of the most prestigious estates in Germany with a history dating back to 1849, they are quality-focused, forward-thinking, internationalist, and modern in their approach, perhaps evidenced by this wine's bright, modern, funky label! 

The production of rosé is for many wine producers often a bit of an afterthought - but not here: they don't follow the common practice of drawing off the juice and making rosé as a by-product of red wine production; for them, rosé is always a standalone main product, given just as much attention as their other styles.

The grapes are destemmed with the juice remaining with the skins for 8-14 hours. Then they are pressed, and everything becomes rosé! Fermentation and aging take place equally in used barriques and stainless steel. Hardly any residual sugar remains after fermentation, hence the wine's name "bone dry".

Von Buhl also know quite a lot about Pinot Noir - they have been growing it since 1849!

Food Pairing:

Lovely on its own as an aperitif but it's also a very good food wine: seafood, light poultry dishes and especially charcuterie, meditteranean salads, grilled halloumi, mild to medium spicy dishes, soft and tangy cheeses.

What the critics say:

90 points: Highly recommended; excellent quality - "a zippy, delightfully raspberry-scented Pinot Noir rosé. Bone-dry yet deeply concentrated, with ripe, juicy blackberry and cherry flavours, it's a firmly structured sip that can stand up to colder weather and sturdier fare like game or salmon. Finishes long with a kiss of smoky spice" - Wine Enthusiast