Shelter Winery
Shelter Winery, Lovely Lilly, Baden, Germany, Pinot Noir, 2022
It’s Pinot Noir but make it German vibes. Oftentimes Pinot Noir is referred to as Spatburgunder in Germany but Shelter is leaning full into the Pinot Noir-ness of the wine. The cutest couple are behind Shelter and their names are epic: Hans-Bert and Silke. I mean…what?!!! Black -forest-Grimes-Fairy-Tale-Baden-Magic? Maybe. There is a lot of weird pinot noir made in Baden, it’s an area in southern Germany that has vineyards on a collection of volcanic hills, so slightly higher elevations. But the trend had always been to make overripe, high alcohol and heavily oaked pinots. And I suppose that the German market enjoyed it, but to me this sounds like a really bad headache. Shelter is taking a light approach with softer extraction and real engagement with the fruit itself. Yes, the label is cool and kind of psychedelic, but the juice inside is such a fun and expressive showcasing of the grape we all know and love. Oh and lovely Lilly is their beloved dog! Shelter is in the delicate pinot noir game and that is a lovely game to be had.