Schlittweg is a parcel within Brand, an Alsace vineyard classified as Grand Cru. Despite its location there, Baur’s Pinot Noir is prohibited from carrying Grand Cru on the label. Regulators allowed only vineyards planted to the four “noble” varieties, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Gewürztraminer, to qualify for Grand Cru designation. They foolishly, in my opinion, omitted Pinot Noir initially. An attempt to change that oversight occur with the 2022 vintage when Pinot Noir from three Grand Cru vineyards, Kirchberg de Barr, Hengst, and Vorbourg, could be labeled as Grand Cru. Not Brand though. Make no mistake, Baur’s powerful Pinot Noir is Grand Cru quality. Baur has fashioned a bolder, riper expression of Pinot Noir, still with plenty of mineral quality, befitting the site. A touch of seductive oak and a slightly more tannic structure makes this fine Pinot Noir a candidate for a few years of bottle age. If you can’t wait, which is understandable, just uncork it a few hours before serving and let it breathe.
92 Michael Apstein – June 25, 2025