2012 Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Frühburgunder R

Franken’s best-known wine personality is certainly Paul Fürst in Bürgstadt, at the western end of the Main Valley. The soil and climate are different here than in Würzburg, and so are the wines, with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir playing the leading roles. However, in Fürst’s hands everything does well, including Silvaner, Riesling and even Chardonnay. While I have admired this estate for over a decade, the past two vintages have been truly exceptional. Part of that may have to do with the new cellars he has built, but part may also have to do with the growing influence of his son Sebastian, who worked for years in Burgundy before returning home. Now responsible for all of the wines fermented or matured in barrel, he has taken the estate's Pinot Noirs to a new level of quality. Without any doubt, they must now be counted among the very best produced in Germany.