Knipser - Pinot Noir RdP dry 2015

Knipser – Pinot Noir RdP dry 2015

General information

Origin & Winemaking

The Knipser winery in Laumersheim (Palatinate) is one of the leading producers of German Pinot Noir. The family tends its vineyards with the utmost care and uses its own, hand-selected vines.

The name ‘RdP’ stands for ‘Réserve du Patron’ – the owner’s personal reserve. This is the estate’stop-of-the-range Pinot Noir, produced only in the finest vintages. The Knipsers deliberately release their premium wines onto the market only once they have reached a certain level of bottle maturity: following 20 months’ ageing in barriques , the bottles are stored for a further three years in the archive cellar before being released. The 2015 RdP was therefore not releaseduntil 2020/21.

The wine was bottledunfiltered and is a single-vineyard wine from first-class plots in the Palatinate.

Tasting notes

Falstaff (2018 – 95+ points)

“Leather, smoky new oak, cassis; still rather closed overall. On the palate, almost painfully dense with ripe tannins, a lively acidity, enormous tension, a chalky-mineral backdrop, commanding respect with its richness of extract and very young, with hints of ‘wild’ Pinot complexity on the finish. Enormous length.”

Falstaff (2021 – 96 points)

“Complex, with nuances of cherries, cherry stone, raspberry; not yet really open, a little woody. Impressive fullness on the palate, velvety tannins in very high quantities, intense chalky minerality, plenty of juiciness, integrated alcohol, outstanding length.”

James Suckling / Stuart Pigott (2017 – 95/100)

“This is so young it still has plenty of puppy fat. A very sweet raspberry nose that’s rich and ripe, with plenty of tannin and bright acidity, too. It will need time until its release in 2020–21 for all this to come together but will be a stunning Pinot.”

Vinum Wine Guide 2018 (96 points – 1st place)

“The Réserve du Patron (RdP) towers magnificently above the rest and is our Pinot Noir of the Year 2015 […] The Knipsers have emerged victorious in the three-way contest between the best Pinot Noir producers of the moment. Their Réserve du Patron offers highly aromatic fruit, plenty of dark cherries, great spice and a hint of Amarena. On the palate, it is full-bodied and crisp. A wine that is at peace with itself and draws its greatness from within: aristocratic yet down-to-earth.”

Gute-Weine.de

“Light-footed, delicate and yet full of vigour. Salty raspberry, cocoa, candied violets and subtle hints of liquorice. The tannins are wonderfully polished. A truly magnificent wine, a benchmark for German Pinot!”

Summary of aromas

On the nose, there are dark cherries, raspberry, cassis, leather, smoky new oak, cocoa, candied violets and subtle hints of liquorice. On the palate, the wine impresses with an almost painful density, ripe, velvety tannins, a lively acidity, enormous tension and a chalky-mineral character. The finish is of enormous length.

Awards & Ratings (Overview)

Drinking maturity & ageing potential

The 2015 RdP was not releaseduntil 2020/21due to its enormous ageing potential . The recommended drinking window extends from 2019 to 2030. Currently (2026) , the wine is in an excellent drinking phase, but still has plenty of potential for further years in the cellar. The wine is extremely young and dense, with a ‘wild’ Pinot complexity that will continue to develop.

Conclusion

The Knipser Spätburgunder RdP dry 2015 is a once-in-a-century wine from the Palatinate and ranks among the very best German Spätburgunders. With ratings of 98–100 points from Gault & Millau, 96 points from Falstaff and Vinum, and 95 points from James Suckling, it stands on a par with the world’s great Burgundies.

The combination of the estate’s own vines, gentle winemaking, 20 months’ ageing in barriques and three years’ bottle ageing in the archive cellar of the winery results in a wine of breathtaking density, elegance and complexity.

For lovers of great Pinot Noirs , this wine is an absolute benchmark – an ‘aristocratic yet down-to-earth’ Pinot Noir that will continue to delight for many years to come. Anyone who has the opportunity should not miss out on it.