Blanc de Noir Brut Nature – 2023

Blanc de Noir Brut Nature 2023 – Organic Sparkling Wine from Andres & Mugler

The organic sparkling wine Blanc de Noir Brut Nature 2023 is a perfect introduction to the world of enjoyment offered by the Andres & Mugler sparkling wine estate from the Palatinate region. This finely effervescent organic sparkling wine from Germany is vinified as a white wine, using equal parts red Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. It offers aromas of red apple and red berries, such as ripe blackberries, with light biscuit notes rounding out the bouquet. On the palate, the organic sparkling wine displays a sparkling lightness—juicy and playful, with an elegant structure. The Andres & Mugler organic Blanc de Noir sparkling wine is produced using the traditional method of bottle fermentation.

Blanc de Noir Brut Nature – key figures

• 12.0% vol alcohol
• 6.3 g/l acidity
• 1 g/l residual sugar

Organic Sparkling Wine – how the Blanc de Noir is made

The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes for this Andres & Mugler organic sparkling wine grow on the mineral soils of the Palatinate in Ruppertsberg, Deidesheim, and Maikammer. The cool winds from the nearby Palatinate Forest ensure good acid structure in the early-harvested base wines, which is essential for high-quality sparkling wine.

The quality philosophy of the Andres & Mugler sparkling wine estate begins with careful soil cultivation and consistent cover cropping. The vineyard work of Michael Andres and Steffen Mugler is pure craftsmanship, shaped by a deep love for biodynamics. The rhythm of nature plays a decisive role in their actions. For both of them, healthy soil, intact flora and fauna, and consequently a vigorous vine, are prerequisites for a healthy circular economy. They hand-pick all their biodynamically managed vineyard plots to ensure the grapes reach the winery in Ruppertsberg undamaged.

Here, the red grapes are gently pressed to avoid extracting red pigments from the skins, allowing white must to run off. Only about two-thirds of the juice present in the berries is extracted.

In the cellar, Steffen Mugler and Michael Andres give their sparkling wines time. The grapes are allowed to ferment slowly and undergo malolactic fermentation, during which the malic acid in the wine is converted into milder lactic acid, giving the base wine a special mouthfeel and creaminess.

The following year, the Blanc de Noir is bottled and the "tirage" is added to trigger the second fermentation in the bottle. The dosage was between 1 and 3 g/l. It is then left to rest and mature on the fine lees for another year, regularly being riddled and the bottles gradually tipped until, in the end, the yeast plug is removed by hand during disgorgement. The Andres & Mugler organic Blanc de Noir Brut Nature then rests in the bottle until "it is ready when it comes out," as Steffen emphasizes.

Andres & Mugler – the sparkling wine makers

The Andres & Mugler sparkling wine estate in Ruppertsberg was founded in 1989 by the two friends and Palatinate vintners Michael Andres and Steffen Mugler. In the early years, base wines were purchased and turned into sparkling wine, but since 1993, only grapes from their own cultivation have been used. Across a total of 17 hectares (7 ha for Michael and 10 ha for Steffen), the estate practices biodynamic viticulture, growing Riesling and white Burgundy varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, and Chardonnay, as well as Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir in the best vineyard sites of the Palatinate. From these grapes, German sparkling wine with an unmistakable, elegant style is created through traditional bottle fermentation—German sparkling wine of the highest standard and organic quality. In 2019, two of their sparkling wines were rated as very good at the Meininger German Sparkling Wine Awards for the first time, followed in 2021 by the distinction from Eichelmann's "Germany's Wines" as the Best Sparkling Wine Collection of 2021. Truly impressive. The Andres & Mugler estate is a member of "die Sektmacher," the association of traditional sparkling wine producers.

Organic control body DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture