Discover the 2019 Hallau Chölle Pinot Noir with Niklas Grom

In Switzerland's northernmost wine-growing region, Klettgau near Schaffhausen, Markus Ruch has been producing top-quality organic wines since 2007. During his extensive years of training and traveling, the cross-trained winemaker gained experience in biodynamic viticulture with Derain in Burgundy and Christian Zündel in Ticino. Today, Markus Ruch's main aim is to find out what Klettgau, with its sometimes heavy, chalky clay soils, really tastes like. Ruch has great respect for nature, the vines and the wine, which he wants to bring into the bottle with as little intervention as possible. He uses very little sulphur and reduces the use of new wood to a minimum. Ruch's aim is to bring the typicality of the individual vineyards into the bottle as carefully and unadulterated as possible.

This Pinot Noir comes from a south-east facing vineyard in Hallau, which bears the name "Chälle". The vines, which are over 70 years old, are deeply rooted in heavy calcareous clay soil and only produce low yields. The grapes ferment with their wild yeasts for around a month in wooden vats. Depending on the vintage, the wine matures for 12-18 months in used 2281 Burgundy barrels and is bottled unfiltered.

In the glass, the Hallau Chölle presents itself in a light cloudy garnet red.

On the nose, it shows many complex fruit aromas, red currant, juicy black cherries, some wild raspberry and fine herbal nuances. Very fresh on the palate with an animating acidity that immediately whets the appetite for the next sip. The fruity aromas that dominate the nose are also confirmed on the palate, with the juicy black cherry in the foreground, flanked by notes of wild raspberry and redcurrant. The still very present, but fine and elegant tannin structure gives the wine an extraordinary length and pressure on the palate. A wine that is incredibly enjoyable in the cold season thanks to its powerful structure, but also goes wonderfully well with a BBQ on the terrace in summer.

For this wine, I chose a dish from our current menu which, just like the wine, impresses with its elegance, depth and strength.

We have ravioli filled with lamb bolognese, accompanied by glazed lamb sweetbreads, lovage, beans and radicchio. The wine's juicy fruit aromas complement the dark, spicy flavors of the lamb. The light herbaceous spiciness of the Pinot ties in with the basic aroma of the dish and the fine tannin rounds off the whole dish with structure. With this wine, we have a pairing that does not overpower the dish, but adds complexity and gives the whole a nice finish.

Photos: Niklas Grom, Sommelier-Union Deutschland e.V.