Stepp Pinot Noir Buntsandstein 2023

Traditional Price £22
Member Price £16.38
Become a member
Add to Wishlist
Login

Pfalz is perfect Pinot country - terraced vineyards overlooking the Rhine valley, on sandstone, with a long gentle growing season to achieve full ripeness in the grapes.

Just 90 minutes south of Frankfurt, it has a real Burgundy-meets-Alsace feel to it. Each village, as charming as the next one, is only a few minutes’ beautiful drive apart.

Gerd Stepp describes his winemaking as ‘New Zealand winemaking with a French influence’. It’s all about maximising the fruit purity, and then he puts it in French oak barrels for 18 months.

But these aren’t any old oak barrels. Gerd has a pal who makes Grand Cru Burgundy, uses the barrels once, and sells them on to him.

We're talking Pommard, Chambertin, Échezeaux here... all the seriously good stuff.

You end up with an intense, juicy, and perfumed Pinot, loaded with red fruit, Christmas cake and cloves. The oak gives it a really luxurious dimension - it supports the fruit perfectly.

No wonder Pfalz is home to Germany’s best Pinots, and getting more and more international attention. You can add this one to the list as one of the regions’ best.

Wine type

Red

Grape(s)

Pinot Noir

Country

Germany

Region of origin

Pfalz

Appellation

Vintage

2023

Alcohol %

13

Oak?

Yes

Months in Oak

18 months

Type of Oak

2nd fill French 228L oak barriques

Allergens (e.g. Milk, Egg, Fish, Nuts)

None

Average age of vines

More than 25 years

Average altitude of vines (m)

Approx. 200-220m

Soil type(s)

Coloured sandstone = Buntsandstein 

Closure Type

Screw cap

Is this wine organic?

No

Biodynamic?

No

Sustainably produced?

Yes

Suitable for vegans?

Yes

Ageing potential (years)

10+ years

Ideal drinking window

2025-2035

Gerd grew up in a sleepy German village called Bad Durkheim, where his parents and grandparents were farmers and grapegrowers. 

You might not be surprised to learn Gerd is now a winemaker in Bad Durkheim, but made damn sure he experienced the world before settling back here.

Read more about Gerd.

A gem from Gerd - wild boar stew with bread dumplings and red cabbage (in the forests there are plenty of wild boars, and bread dumplings are a bit of a speciality here... as is the slowly-cooked red cabbage)

FOR IRELAND

We know how important it is to get your wine order quickly and efficiently. So we’ve partnered with UPS to offer next-day delivery on our wines.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • It’s free - delivery is already included in the members' price
  • It’s fast - you’ll get next-day delivery if you order before 12pm Monday-Thursday
  • It’s environmentally-friendly - all of our orders are shipped carbon neutral with UPS.

€2 per case is added to all Northern Ireland orders to cover additional shipping costs. The point of sale occurs in the Republic of Ireland.

Our minimum order requirement is 6 bottles and we ship in multiples of 6’s. This can be 6 different bottles!

You may need to show your ID on delivery.

Please read our Terms & Conditions for more information.

_______________________________

FOR UK

1. Order minimum & case sizes

We ship exclusively in full cases of wine. Your order must be a minimum of 6 bottles and in a multiple of 6 (for example 6, 12, 18 bottles).

2. Where we deliver

We deliver across Great Britain, with a small number of exceptions. Delivery is currently not available to the following locations:

  • Channel Islands (GY, JE)

Please also note that some more remote areas take a little longer to reach. For the postcodes listed below, delivery may take 2–5 working days due to their location, and there is an additional £20 charge applied to these areas:

KA27, KA28, AB31–AB56, IV1–IV63, KW1–KW17, PH15–PH150, PA20–PA78, HS1–HS9, PH42–PH44, ZE1–ZE3, FK16–FK21,BT

3. Delivery timeframe

  • Place your order by midday (12pm) Monday-Friday for next working-day delivery.

  • Saturday delivery is available when you order by midday on Friday.

  • If you order after midday, your delivery will fall on the next working day, and in some cases it may arrive sooner - but this is not guaranteed.

  • Orders placed after 3pm on a Friday will be delivered on the following Tuesday.

4. Courier & delivery options

We use DPD Local for all deliveries with the default method as delivery to your address - handover required. You’ll receive text and/or an email notification to let you know your case has been shipped and another with your 1 hour delivery window, with both giving you the options to:

• leave in a safe place

• leave with a neighbour

• change the delivery day

• deliver to a different address

• deliver to a DPD Pickup ParcelShop

If you choose a safe place or a neighbour and the parcel is delivered to that place or person, responsibility passes to you from that point onwards.

5. Age verification

This site is for adults only. We operate a Challenge 25 age verification policy. When in doubt DPD will request valid photo ID on delivery to confirm you are 18 or over. Accepted ID includes a passport, driving licence or other recognised photographic ID.

6. Damaged goods in transit

If your case of wine is damaged during transit, we will be notified by DPD and will reorder and dispatch a replacement for you at the earliest opportunity and keep you updated throughout.

7. Returns once delivered

If you decide you need to return your order after it has been delivered, please get in touch with us and we will arrange a collection. Returns are handled on a case-by-case basis once you contact us.

8. General provisions

By placing an order you agree to these delivery terms. We may update or amend these terms from time to time - any changes will apply to orders placed after the update.

Customer Reviews

Based on 40 reviews
83%
(33)
18%
(7)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
P
Paul Lawton (Thirsk)
UNGLAUBLICH!

One of my favourite German words sums up this wine. Incredible. A really delicious, great value Pinot Noir which I will DEFINITELY be ordering again. Thanks Eamon and Gerd.

B
Brian Ward (Dublin)
Nice, pleasant, supple easy drinking, medium-bodied pinot.

Enjoyed it with a roast chicken meal.

D
Declan O'Shaughnessy (Limerick)
Delightful pinot noir

Absolutely delightful pinot noir - fresh, balanced and wonderfully fruit driven. I get violets and raspberries on the nose. Would definitely order again.

Thanks so much for the great review Declan and I'm so glad you enjoyed the bottle!

Cheers, Adam

A
Andreas (Killarney)
Good value for money

It tastes better the second day, so requires some maturing.
Nose: sour cherry, bitter almond, sandalwood
Palate: some cherry, but a bit light and monostructured in the middle. Good tannins though.
A clear and honest Pinot. For us 15,5 Pts.

S
Sarah Bruen (Dublin)

This is a very drinkable wine and fabulous value. I've bought it twice in a row now!

It's one of our top sellers for a reason!

E
Eoghan Mooney (Dublin)
A great reminder of how nice German reds can be!

Really good value at this price.

German reds are not to be underestimated!

A
Agnes McLaverty (Dublin)
On repeat

This was one of the first wines we ordered from Winespark and we love it. A Pinot Noir, it’s light but not too light and doesn’t disappoint on flavour. We drink it on its own and with food, - it’s great value and lovely with pasta on a Friday night.

Super review, thank you!

W
Will O’Connor (London)
Very moreish!!!

Had my first try of this last night with a Sunday roast chicken. Loved it. Light enough for the chicken but loads there to enjoy!
Will be ordering more

Delighted to hear this William, it's a real all rounder! Always worth having a few bottles as it will work for any occasion!