Jean Stodden, Spatburgunder, Ahr

This is lovely. Scents of raspberries, roses, blood and forest floor. This is lovely stuff, beautiful soft red fruits, some zest and a hint of pepper.

Non-french Pinot Noir (Must & Lees, Warren Street) : Medium pale red, quite limpid. I like this colour palette. Tres pinot, red-fruit spectrum, could easily sub in for a village pinot. I have very little experience of german PN but I liked this, satifyingly easy-drinking, light and refreshing with nice acidity. The type of wine that you don't judge on complexity but simply on whether you like it or not. I did.

TWS North London - Pinot Noir ex-France (Must & Lees, Warren Street) : Musty, subdued. Mature fruit with a sweet powdery perfume. Slightly reticent, balanced mid-weight personality. Not too demonstrative with sharp acidity - quite savoury and cool.

(Non-France) Pinot Noirs of North London (Must & Lees, Warren Street) : A bigger, oakier wine than the 2020, with some musk on the nose as well as the fruit. Rounded on the palate, with good depth of attractive cherry and strawberry fruit, and decent length, but I would have liked more definition and complexity.

Complex German PN, some richness and good length

Beautifulruby colour, very decent bouquet. On the palate very earthy, like a walk in a German forest on a hot summer day. Clay.

Two bottles out of six corked :-(

A juicy, linear aromatic wine. Has aromas of raspberries, flowers, a sliver of basalt, coffee and cherries. Its medium bodied juicy, linear lightly oaked blue and red fruits palate has a sliver of basalt. Ends longish, fresh and balanced. 12.5%.

Pale colour; lifted nose, airy and perfumed, frsh and mineral, with autumn forest notes and earthy depth; silky and supple palate, creamy and rounded, fresh and energetic, seamless and elegant, lovely flavours, rosehip and raapberry, slightly honeyed; very good resonance and length, without the grippy tannins of so many other 2016’s from the Ahr. Excellent quality for a Gutswein. At Auberge Jean & Marie, Amsterdam, NL.

2016 was a great year in the Ahr Valley. This has aromas of blueberries, minerals, strawberries and coffee hints. Its medium bodied spherical and elegant blue fruits palate has nice lowish oak support. Ends longish, fresh and cool! 13.5%.