Pinot noir blind tasting. Germany, Burgundy, Hungary.

Mainly I organized this event beacause I had no expereinces with german pinots. I selected three ones, each from pinot noir specialized regions, each from one the top producers of their districts. I put also some pretty much price compatible burgundies in the row for reference. Some of the participants were also curious how some hungarian pinots would look like amoung the more famous representatives of the variety, so we also put some of them into the row.

• 2009 Rudolf Fürst Klingenberger Spätburgunder 84 Points

  Germany, Franken

  Tasted blind. Toasted flavours, some red berry fruit, earthiness. Medium body and intensity. Not much tannin, smooth, balanced with medium finish. Ok, but expected much more. 27 Euro.

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• 2007 Bernhard Huber Sommerhalde Spätburgunder R 90 Points

  Germany, Baden

  Tasted blind. Intense nose with spiciness, lots of toasty oak. On the palate concentrated fruit seems to handle pretty well the obvious oak again. Very good depth, density with vivid, vibrant acidity and fine grained, dry, refreshing tannins. Has some youngish unsettled feeling, but good substance. 37 Euro.

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• 2011 Losonci Pinot Noir Mátra Gereg 87 Points

  Hungary, Felső-Magyarország, Mátra

  Tasted blind. Juicy red fruits, mainly sour cherry. Medium-plus body, savoury, fruit driven, toothsome. Medium density on midpalate, vivid acidity, grippy tannins. Medium-plus finish. Has some youngish unsettlement, but really enjoyable. 24 Euro.

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• 2009 Meyer-Näkel Neuenahrer Sonnenberg Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 91 Points

  Germany, Ahr

  Tasted blind. Considerable toasty oak, concentrated red fruit, spicy-earthy notes. Very good depth, intensity of flavours, dense, expanding midpalate, focused, long finish. Has grip, yet smooth, rounded. Good one.45 Euro.

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• 2009 Tamás Pinot Noir Balatonfüred-Csopak 86 Points

  Hungary, Balaton, Balatonfüred-Csopak

  Tasted blind. Fine, toasty oakiness, earth, mushrooms, thin berry fruits. Medium intensity of flavours, less substance than the previous ones. Medium density on midpalate, medium-plus finish. Pretty smooth and polished elements, good balance. 12 Euro. Good value for price.

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• 2007 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Tasted blind. So much more class in the nose than any others in the row. Beautifully complex with a whole spice-bazaar, flowers, well defined, concentrated fruit. (The oak is so discreet and integrated, much-much smarter than the germans' excessive toastiness.) Medium body. Deep and captivating intensity of flavours. The fruit is just shining, but lots of other layers here as well. Deeper, denser midpalate yet fine silkiness in the texture, longly unfolding sip, really good length. So fluently, effortlessly elegant,impeccable balance. This is just a beauty with all the pinot-magic, easily towers this row. 93-94 points. 55 Euro, it absolutely worth it.

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• 2009 Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Roy 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey 1er Cru

  Tasted blind. Well-defined berry fruits, refined spiciness, smartly used, discreet, fine oak again. Medium-body. Good concentration of fruit, pure and intense, even has a hard time after the previous one. Good amount of structure, detailed and polished, very good balance, pretty long finish. Slighly less material than the top germans but shows more finesse. 22 Euro, best buy.

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• 2010 Vylyan Pinot Noir Villányi 84 Points

  Hungary, Dél-Pannónia, Villányi

  Tasted blind. Red fruits, oak. Medium intensity of flavours, pleasantly vivid acidity. Quite simple, linear, medium finish. Enjoyable. 10 Euros.

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• 2010 A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Digoine 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise

  Tasted blind. Fresh berry-fruits, earthiness, pinot-like spiciness. Medium body, good savour intensity, delicate, biteable. Good focus on midpalate, has drive, medium-plus finish. Fine grained, little dusty tannins, vivid acidity, has grip, clean and refreshing. Very good in its class. 20 Euro

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There are some pretty good pinot noir substances in Germany for sure. But in my opinion Burgundy is just Burgundy. Even the cheaper burgs delievered much more refined "pinot like-ness". Germans are usually heavily oaked, I found them much less expressive. For the hungarians we did not have high expectations. They were usually way much cheaper than the other competitors, usually the wines were less serious as well, but all of them were ok and well consumable.