The 2021 Vintage
– Stunning Classically Styled Fruit
– Remarkable Fruit Clarity
– These Are Must Buys for Pinot Lovers. Must Buys.
What Sven Enderle Thought
– Blown Away by the Pinots
– Very Inexpensive for the Quality
2021 Thörle Saulheimer Kalkstein Spätburgunder
– 96 Points, Stuart Pigott
– $29.99 on Case Pricing
– Amazingly Deep Nose
– Dark Tea and Cherries
– Violets
– Layered, Delicate and Intense
– Palate: Hauntingly Great
– Incredible Density
– Sweet, Layered, Structured and Complex
– God’s Licorice and Black Cherry
– Incredible Sap and Structure
– Top Tier Deliciousness
– 1er Cru Seriousness as This Aerates
– Not Yet Allocated (Holle and Probstey Are)
“Already the intensity and vibrancy of the sour cherry and forest berry aromas in the nose are astonishing. Yes, there’s some oak in the mix, but it is just the very exciting spice in the soup. The super-fine tannins and vibrant acidity interlock almost perfectly on the super-focused palate, then the racy finish blasts off in the direction of the next star. Just a hint of blood orange adds yet more energy! From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Unfiltered. Drink or hold.” – 96 Points, Stuart Pigott
The “Chicanery” Episode of Better Call Saul and Thorle’s Arrival
One of my favorite shows of all time is Better Call Saul. Many people were skeptical that it could be as good as Breaking Bad but it showed much promise the first 2.5 seasons and then the episode “Chicanery” happened which was season 3 episode 5 and that episode got universal praise and cemented Better Call Saul as one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Not only was it as good as Breaking Bad, but in all likelihood it was better.
It still, to this day has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and Michael McKean’s performance in that episode is still one of the greatest single episode performances in television history. Also the final courtroom scene is a direct homage to the final courtroom scene in The Caine Mutiny down to the expressions on the faces of the three judges. It’s remarkable television and showed that BCS was a force to be reckoned with.
Thorle has always made wonderful Pinot Noir but in 2018 the Holle and Probstey bottlings became German Pinot Noir icons as Stuart Pigott bestowed very high scores on both of those wines. It continued in 19 and 20. But the 1er cru bottling of the Pinot Noir was also quietly improving. The Saulheimer Kalkstein Spätburgunder started to get serious recognition in 2018 and 2019. But in 2020 Pigott gave it 95 points and we sold it for under $30. Well the 2021 has just been released and Pigott has bestowed on it 96 points.
We will sell this today for $29.99 on a case and it got 96 points.
The Thorle brothers have been consistently performing at such a high level these past few years. This vintage of this wine really cements them as a top European producer of Pinot Noir. Just like Chcanery and Better Call Saul.
l’ll Be Brief
Thorle is without doubt one of the top 2-3 producers of Pinot Noir in Germany.
Some will argue they are the best.
Years ago, when the wines were not close to being as good as they are today, they stood toe to toe in a blind tasting with very good Burgundy.
This wine should cost over $100.
But because Burgundy lovers have not caught on yet, it’s $29.99. You are buying very good 1er Burgundy quality wine for under $30. It should be illegal to drink this on anything other than a special occasion.
Continuous Improvement
I have never in my wine career the vintage to vintage improvement of a winery like Thorle when it comes to their Pinot Noir. We started with them in 14’s for the Pinots and while they were good then they were not even in the same galaxy as where they are now. It’s really a testament to the the work of the Thorle brothers.
The 2021 Vintage at Thorle
The Thorle brothers made the leap” in 2018 but I think in 2021 they took a “mini leap.” My scores for the 2021 Pinots are one to two points higher than they the 19s and the 20s and both were stunning sets of wines.
In 2021 the elegance and precision are better. Much better.
The quality of the fruit is remarkable. So pure and deep with such an accurate expression. It’s some of the best fruit you’ll ever taste at any level. Each 2021 Thorle Pinot is remarkable. They are lush and deeply fruited wines with terrific limestone minerality and freshness. They have the best precision now of any vintage of Thorle. But all of this elevated by the elite finesse. They float on your palate and then soak it with fruit. The fruit in the 21 Thorles reminds me of the fruit in 2021 Burgundy but a skoche darker. It’s like if Brisset and Buffet had a German love child. The precision of Brisset and the unreal elegant, deep fruit of Buffet but with that limestone minerality from the soils of Saulheim. Across the board they just outdid the 19’s. I cannot believe they got that much better. Stuart Piggott is here in Germany and will publish soon. I anticipate big things. Today’s wine got a 96 from Piggot. It’s a crazy. It’s also only $27.99 on a case. QPR gif the ages.
These guys are the new, young faces of German pinot noir. They’ve got the branding. They’ve got the business skills. A grand new modern winery as well to taste all these treats in. Obviously, they make great wine.
Prices are going to continue to rise and allocations are going to continue to shrink.
The Wine
The value play in the lineup that has to now represent the current ultimate value play for elite 1er Cru style German Pinot for under $30. Germany is really the only place in the world that is making world class Pinot for under $30. This is as good a red wine value as we’ve ever sold. It’s much harder to find red wine like this than anything else.
The 2021 Thorle Saulheimer Kalkstein Spätburgunder can be had for $31.99 a bottle on a 4-pack and $29.99 on a 12 bottle case. In 2021, grapes from Schlossberg Pinot are in it. Schlossberg is only released as a Riesling and we will be seeing a Schlossberg Pinot sometime in the next few years.
A true “are you kidding me? nose.” Insane purity. Wood shavings. Blackberry flower. Noble and elite nose. Layered and so harmonious. Dark tea and cherries. Violets. Layered, delicate and intense. This nose smells like a 3rd grand cru. It’s the best nose I’ve ever smelled on this wine. Loads of woodsy aromas, woodland berry, spice and a big mineral element but is in the background as the fruit is so engaging on the nose.
On the palate, dense and pure with great acids. Superb ripe tannins. So pure. Tangy, lifting fruit. Wonderful. Darker fruits and also lighter redder fruits than the 2020 if that makes sense. Schlossberg Pinot is in this for first time. Tiny berry fruit. Explosive. Palate is sweet, layered, structured and complex. Best ever version. Fresh and dense. What energy and depth. Really long. Palate is hauntingly great. Amazing supple and elegant mouthfeel but with a brilliant black cherry, blackberry flower and blackberry sap that is so pure and the grippy sweet fruit is buffered by just terrific freshness and energy. This is a wow wine. It’s so clear.
The finish is long, saturating and fresh. Blackberry and spice echo on the palate for minutes. The length is something. The clarity is untouchable for this price point and it’s showcasing the stunning fruit the Thorle Brothers got in 2021.
“Already the intensity and vibrancy of the sour cherry and forest berry aromas in the nose are astonishing. Yes, there’s some oak in the mix, but it is just the very exciting spice in the soup. The super-fine tannins and vibrant acidity interlock almost perfectly on the super-focused palate, then the racy finish blasts off in the direction of the next star. Just a hint of blood orange adds yet more energy! From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Unfiltered. Drink or hold.” – 96 Points, Stuart Piggott
Midjourney
As you know, we believe that strict recitations of tasting notes is only part of the story of a wine. We’ve always tried to include metaphors to try to give our readers a better understanding of how wines impact us. These metaphors have included architecture, painting, music and poetry.
We’re trying something new to help create visual metaphors using Midjourney, a generative artificial intelligence program that is by far the best image gneratour out there. I’ve messed around with a bunch and this is by far the best. We look forward to hearing your feedback.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 after emailing with your firstorder if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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