German wines don’t often get the love they deserve here in the UK. Perhaps we’re still haunted by those mass-produced sweet wines that plagued the nation years ago. While the rest of the world has long since woken up to the country’s huge potential, we’re still playing catch-up. A shame really, because those in the know rightly defend Germany as one of the most progressive and exciting wine-producing nations producing bottles that easily rival the greats of its neighbours. I have to agree.

Leading that charge is Wasenhaus, based just next to the Black Forest in Baden, a mere 30 minutes from the French border. This small estate has earned international acclaim. It’s the project of Alexander Götze and Christoph Wolber (yes, that’s Basti’s brother). The two met in Burgundy, where they built their experience at iconic organic domaines including Comte Armand, Bernard van Berg, Leflaive, de Montille, Pierre Morey and Domaine de la Vougeraie. Big flex. Alex was even vineyard manager at de Montille until 2021.

The comparisons between Burgundy and Baden are clear, with similar geography and, in some areas, soil type. It’s only a two-hour drive west, after all. That said, the wines feel distinctly ‘Baden’ and now serve as a reference point for the region. Although the Pinot here is technically the same variety as in Burgundy, German clones often have different traits, such as more vigorous vines and larger bunches, adding another layer of unique interest.

Despite 80% of Baden’s production still going into co-operatives, there are some truly exceptional vineyards, often on steep slopes that are tough to farm manually. That has worked in Wasenhaus’s favour, allowing them to secure excellent terroir despite being relatively fresh to the wine game.

Winemaking is low-intervention. They work with an old press, whites are whole-cluster pressed and aged in neutral barrels of varying sizes. Reds are fermented in open-top vats and then aged in neutral oak too, with whole-cluster use varying by vintage and site. Everything is fermented with natural yeasts, bottled unfined and unfiltered, and sulfur is used only minimally, when necessary, at bottling.

These are wines I’ve long admired, tasted earlier this year in Burgundy and impressed very well alongside their French contemporaries. They’re without doubt among Germany’s best. If you love Pinot and Chardonnay of the highest order you really should get acquainted.