For followers of the international wines investing market, the role of Pinot Noir in Germany is interesting. As prices soar for Burgundian Pinots, second-market buyers have begun to cast their nets further afield for comparable quality at a far lower price. And Germany offers a welcome alternative; superb quality, long ageing potential and a marketing export strategy that beggars belief, certain producers such as Rudolf Furst, are setting themselves apart from the crowd. As Wine guru Jancis Robinson said in 2018: “German Pinot Noir now belongs in the company of great Pinot Noirs around the world...”.

A winemaking family for over 400 years, the Fursts were born and brought up in their south-facing fields. A family of passionate traditionalists, the estate is run by Paul and his son Sebastian (the 2nd and 3rd generations of Fursts to be at the helm). The 15-hectares of iron rich terroir is farmed as it always has been: low-impact methods, reduced yields, meticulous canopy management and staged selection passes, underscored by immense dedication. This is then followed by long, gentle, elevage in oak barrels (between 12-20 months), for results which are superb and highly acclaimed. Whether we are talking about their Pinot Noirs (Spätburgunder) or dry Rieslings, both the red and whites produced by this estate are magical.

Rudolf Furst has gone a long way to prove Robert Parker wrong. Parker is famously quoted as saying “German Pinot Noir is a grotesque and ghastly wine that tastes akin to a defective, sweet, faded, diluted red Burgundy from an incompetent producer.” His comments have perhaps been in part responsible for the lack of interest or availability of Rudolf Furst wines in the US, whereas British mega-fan Jancis Robinson ("Rudolf Fürst is an acknowledged Pinot Noir sage in Germany.") might well be one of the reasons why the wines are hugely popular in Britain. Despite their consistently high ratings (notably from Jancis), the wines remain reasonably priced; with a 23% rise in approximately five years from 2014-2019. Today expect to pay around €100 in Europe for a 2014 vintage, 92 points aggregate score and Germany’s “red wine of the year”.