Shelter 'Lovely Lilly' Pinot Noir Baden 2021

Hans-Bert Espe and Silke Wolf named their winery Shelter after the old rented hangar where they got their start. Now settled in a beautifully designed, solar-powered building, they have continued to grow and make wine on the same small scale and with the same hand-crafted philosophy that they began with. The microclimate in their particular region of Baden benefits from a cooling wind from the nearby Black Forest, as well as mineral-rich limestone and loess soils. The variety that Hans-Bert and Silke focus on—pinot noir—has long been associated with Baden, though their pinots deviate from the oak-heavy style that has become the norm there. Their ‘Lovely Lilly’, named for the beloved dog who accompanied them in their first several vintages, exemplifies their light and fresh style. Harvested by hand and delicately pressed after a short cold soak, it ferments in open-top wooden vessels before aging in mostly old barrels. With violets and fresh earth on the nose, it sits lightly on the palate, with crunchy red fruit, black pepper, and a definite mineral streak. Organically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.