The Dernauer Pinot Noir is one of our two local wines and is therefore in the middle of our origin-shaped quality pyramid. The grapes come from middle aged vines (around 25 years old) from our vineyards in Dernau in the upper Ahr valley. The valley here is narrower, the vineyards are steeper and characterized by their characteristic slate and greywacke terraces. The Dernauer Pinot Noir is mineral, firm and complex.
The narrowness of the valley, the steep slopes and the extremely stony soil give the wine the dark fruit aromas paired with a smokiness and slate spice that is characteristic of the Ahr Valley. The Dernauer Pinot Noir often needs a little more time to open than the Ahrweiler Pinot Noir.
Soil: greywacke, slate
Vineyard: ecological cultivation, focus on manual work on the steep slopes, 100% hand picking
Vinification: traditionally spontaneously fermented, not enriched, aging in barrels made of local oak, bottled gently and unfined
