Bernhard Huber, Malterdinger Chardonnay 2021

In Malterdingen, a small village east of the Kaiserstuhl in Baden, Pinot Noir has been part of life for nearly 700 years. The Cistercian monks who settled here recognised the Muschelkalk soils as a mirror of their beloved Burgundy, planting vines where the Huber estate still stands today. So close was the link that for centuries “Malterdinger” was used as a synonym for Pinot Noir in Germany.

Fast forward, and few names have shaped German Pinot Noir as much as Bernhard Huber. Often called the godfather of Spatburgunder, he believed in meticulous vineyard work, tiny yields, and patience in the cellar. His wines are always unfiltered, always given the time they needed to set new standards for what German Pinot could be. His passing in 2014 was a huge loss, but the estate was already in safe hands.

Bernhard’s son Julian had taken on responsibilities early while still at university. What’s clear today is that he hasn’t just carried on the legacy but rather making it his own. Vineyard density has increased, clone material is sourced directly from Burgundy and yields are kept minuscule. In the cellar whole-bunch fermentations, long macerations, and extended lees aging give the wines their unmistakable depth and energy.

Pinot Noir remains the heartbeat of the estate, with single vineyard wines from Grosses Gewachs sites that, in our opinion, rival anything in Burgundy. But Chardonnay has become Julian’s personal playground- smoky, flinty, taut wines that can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the best white Burgundies. Together with a small team that has been there since Bernhard’s days, Julian is proving that Malterdingen’s reputation as a home for world class Pinot and now Chardonnay is not just a legend of the past but the future too.