2022 Wasenhaus: Chardonnay, Spatburgunder & Spatburgunder Kalk - Baden - 3 Flessen (0.75 liter)

Weingut Wasenhaus is located in Baden, Germany. Christoph Wolber and Alexander Götze met in Burgundy during their studies of wine at the local school in Beaune. At the same time, they both worked full-time on some of the largest biodynamic estates in Burgundy such as those of Pierre Morey, Leflaive, Comte Armand... Shortly after becoming roommates, they made the plan to return to Germany and set up their own winery in Baden. In Christoph's home region, they search for suitable plots and select them meticulously: one on the slopes of the Ehrenstettener Oelberg and the other in the Ehrenkirchener Kirchberg. In recent years, they have purchased several plots, some with very old vines. They grow their own grapes, but also buy grapes from friendly companies with a similar philosophy that are used in the production of Gutedel. Their first vintage came out in 2016 and was a great success. Christoph and Alexander use gentle extractions, with very little punching down during fermentation, and occasional stirring to ensure a healthy fermentation from the start. Sulphur is used judiciously and is only applied after malolactic fermentation. The wines are all aged in oak barrels.

Chardonnay 2022.
The 2022 Chardonnay from Wasenhaus comes from a plot located south of Staufen, on sandy and clayey soil rich in quartz and mineral stones. The grapes are pressed directly from the whole bunch, and are fermented in barrels of different sizes and different wines. The refinement lasts 12 months in barriques on the lees, then 6 months in stainless steel tanks, always on the lees.

Spatburgunder 2022.
This is Wasenhaus’ entry level Pinot Noir; it is the gateway drug of this estate, cut from the same cloth as the top Grand Crus (unlike the “Grande Ordinaire, which is a much more free-form, bright and “natural” treatise on Pinot Noir from the region).

Some technical information: Sourced from mainly sandy and loess soils. The Spätburgunder comes from various parcels, it is “Baden Rouge” as you might say. Fermented mostly destemmed, with about 30% whole bunch, in a classic open oak vat. Fermentation lasted between 15 to 18 days and the wine was aged in used French oak barrels for 14 months.

Spatburgunder Kalk 2022.
The geography and village names of Baden are likely somewhat foreign, so to simplify things we can say that Kalk largely comes from one new parcel in the town of Ebringen, about ten minutes north of Wasenhaus. Yet the name, which translates to chalk, says what's really important: the soil. I loved the wine; it has some of the character of Bellen (Bellen is also limestone soils and a bit of grapes from Bellen went in here), yet perhaps it's more bouncy. Let's see.

This Pinot noir is a blend from multiple plots but all on limestone soil, situated in the Markgraflerland. A major part of the vines is older than 40 years and the fruit was fermented as 40% whole cluster in an open top fermenter for 18 days. 16 months aging in mainly used barrels.


All wines come from a temperature-controlled cellar.

Bottles of first origin, never traveled.

I do not ship outside of Europe.