Product Description
The Gantenbein Pinot Noir 2022 is a masterful expression of precision, elegance, and finesse, crafted with the utmost care from one of Switzerland's most renowned vineyards. With yields consistently low at just 1.5 tons per acre, this Pinot Noir represents the pinnacle of quality, produced in small quantities for exceptional depth and complexity. The hand-harvested grapes are fermented in custom-built, open-top wood fermenters, with 20% whole clusters to add nuance and structure. After fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barriques, where it spends 12 to 14 months maturing.
The result is a full-bodied, delicate wine with harmonious balance and focused minerality. The nose is a sophisticated blend of ripe red berries, earth, and subtle spice, while the palate is rich and velvety, offering layers of complexity with every sip. The wine’s purity and balance are underscored by the subtle interplay between fruit, oak, and its distinctive mineral core. Bottled without fining or filtration, this Pinot Noir is a true reflection of the Gantenbein philosophy—minimal intervention, with the terroir taking centre stage. With time, this wine will continue to develop, offering an even deeper expression of its elegance and complexity.
Maker
Gantenbein Winery, established in 1982 in the village of Fläsch in Switzerland’s Grisons Rhine Valley, is a family-run estate with a reputation for producing wines that speak to precision, elegance, and minimal intervention. Founded by Daniel and Martha Gantenbein, the winery’s philosophy is grounded in the belief that great wines are made in the vineyard, not the cellar. From the outset, they chose to plant Burgundy clones, understanding that the quality of the vine is key to producing wines of exceptional depth and character.
The Gantenbein team has always been committed to creating wines that express the purest form of the land, with yields intentionally kept low to ensure maximum concentration of flavour. Their winemaking is built on the natural flow of gravity, with no pumps or filters used, allowing the wines to retain the purity of the fruit and the character of the terroir. This hands-off approach to winemaking ensures that every bottle of Gantenbein wine is a true expression of the estate’s unique environment.
Philosophy
At Gantenbein, the philosophy is simple yet profound: let the vineyard speak. The estate operates with a minimal-intervention approach, where natural processes take the lead. The focus is on purity, balance, and restraint, ensuring that the wines are true to their terroir and reflective of the region’s unique qualities. By avoiding unnecessary intervention—such as filtration, fining, and over-manipulation in the cellar—Gantenbein crafts wines that allow the raw essence of the grape and the land to shine through.
The wines at Gantenbein are built to last, structured by the integrity of the soil and the climate, not by artifice. Every decision in the winemaking process is guided by a deep respect for the natural world, allowing the wines to express the balance between power and subtlety, richness and finesse. The result is a collection of wines that are distinctively Swiss, refined, and unapologetically authentic.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Complex and Elegant
The nose reveals a sophisticated blend of ripe red berries, earth, and subtle spice. Hints of forest floor, violets, and crushed rocks add layers of complexity, creating a bouquet that is both inviting and refined.
Palate
Full-Bodied and Delicate
On the palate, the Gantenbein Pinot Noir is rich and velvety, with a balance of fruit and structure. Flavours of dark cherry, raspberry, and black tea are interwoven with earthy notes and a touch of oak, creating a wine that is both complex and harmonious. The tannins are fine and well-integrated, providing a seamless mouthfeel.
Finish
Minerally and Long
The finish is long and elegant, with a distinct mineral backbone and a subtle savoury quality that lingers on the palate. The wine’s purity and freshness shine through, making each sip feel like a new discovery.
Reviews + Accolades:
The 2022 Pinot Noir offers a fascinating, deep, pure, savory and flinty, quite ethereal bouquet of dark berries and Morello cherries. Remarkably pure yet intense on the palate, this is a dense, lush and spicy Pinot with fine tannins and a beautiful tartness and bitterness on the finish. This elegant, beautifully airy and finessed Pinot has great intensity and even more purity. There is a bridge to both the 2022 Chardonnay and even the 2022 Riesling. Tasted at the domaine in March 2024. - Stephan Reinhardt, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 98 Points
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Switzerland
Region - Graubünden
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%
