These two wines are a spellbinding fireworks show of terroir—limestone versus sandstone—from an estate that changed the course of German Pinot Noir.
I still remember tasting the Pinot Noirs of Enderle & Moll in the fall of 2009; they were nothing short of a revelation. Here were Pinots of incredible transparency, not delicate but finessed, lithe, and ruthlessly soil-driven with grace and cut.
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Almost two decades later, their wines remain not only canonical; they remain at the cutting edge of German wine.
Today we present the famous micro-production "Grand Crus" from the 2022 vintage at as low as $52.95 a bottle on the 4-pack.
Both wines are, more than anything else, honest. They are of a place; they scream of soil.
In fact, these two Grand Cru bottles are named specifically after the soil types on which they are grown: "Muschelkalk" translates to "limestone," and "Buntsandstein" to sandstone.
The side-by-side is shocking and riveting.
While the 2022s come to us with plush fruit and an almost uncommon depth, the "Muschelkalk" has a thrust and definition that speak of the limestone. Yet the wine is layered, almost exotically perfumed, with crushed blackberry fruit, a sappy, resinous herbal component, and superb delineation. These are among the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Baden (they were planted in the early 1950s). You can certainly taste the old-vine density.
The "Buntsandstein" lives up to its extremely aromatic reputation: gossamer and expansive where the "Muschelkalk" is dense and defined. In 2022, somehow the "Buntsandstein" is more red-fruited and more structured. It is tense and nervous, with a fascinating array of red fruit and ultra-fine layers of herbal and mineral detail.
The German wine renaissance is in full swing; there can be no denying this. Pinot Noir is going to play a huge part in this resurgence. When the story is finally written, Enderle & Moll will have a hallowed place.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Limited-time 4-pack pricing. Applies automatically at checkout.