Michael Andres - 'N' - Chardonnay - Pfalz, AT - 2023

Satellite's Hot Take

Wow. This is perfect Chardonnay, from Germany

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Michael Andres made just one barrel of this. Mirabelle plums, grapefruit, and pear, with a light tannin grip and saltiness. It tastes completely natural, just like you've always wanted Chardonnay to taste like. An Amazing wine.

"Minimally invasive work and as much time as possible, especially with the single-vineyard Rieslings. Our -N- wines are rare and small batches; they are fermented with wild yeasts, are unfiltered, and are given maximum freedom. Malolactic fermentation and storage on the full lees well into the summer ensure balance and longevity. Aging takes place in small wooden barrels. A lively wine. Made with courage and respect. -N- stands for N-atural, N-o-filtration, N-ext-Level."

Notes on the Producer

In addition to having a great vinyl collection of reggae (a huge plus in my book!), Michael Andres makes some of the most mineral driven, fresh and soulful wines I’ve come across in sometime ... which is the biggest gift of all! His relaxed and unassuming personality is coupled with a fanatical devotion to biodynamics and the land on which he has worked since his youth.
Michael’s father was a grape grower in Ruppertsberg, in the heart of the Pfalz’s Mittleberg, on the edge of the Haardt Mountains, where today Michael farms just 7 ha of vineyards. In his eyes this is the ideal size for a his small estate and enables him to farm every vine by hand, only deepening his connection to the land and furthering his understanding and belief in the power of biodynamics.
In addition to his impressive Riesling holdings in the famed Hergottsacker, Reiterpfad and Maushole vineyards, Michael also farms classic Champagne varieties for his outstanding Sekt (sparkling) wines; in addition to Grauer Burgunder, Auxerrois and Weissburgunder… no surprise given the Pfalz’s geographical proximity to and influence from Alsace.
These are wines of great tension and minerailty along with immaculate freshness and crystalline fruit flavors.