Lienert Vineyards Kyffhäuser Eden Valley Pinot Noir 2024

Tasting Note

Light ruby red in colour, this Pinot Noir shows a complex bouquet of fresh cherry, wild strawberries, rhubarb, dried herbs, cedar, lavender, forest floor and some subtle gamey notes. The palate is fresh and lightly bodied yet layered, with bright, mineral-driven acidity, red and forest fruits, a saline edge, hints of Campari, savoury cedar and game, and silky, refined tannins carrying through a balanced, lingering finish.

The Story

Frederick I “Barbarossa,” the German born 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor, supposedly drowned during the Third Crusade, but folklore claims he lives!, and still sleeps beneath the Kyffhäuser mountains, his red beard growing through a stone table, awaiting the day when Gerrmany needs him the most.

Our “Kyffhäuser” Eden Valley Vineyard sits at 500 metres above sea level, amongst the highest elevation in the Barossa wine region. She borders the famed Kaiser Stuhl (the King’s Throne) Conservation Park. To name the vineyard we felt it only fitting that, after a long day of ruling from the King’s Throne, Barbarossa might sleep beneath his legendary Kyffhäuser mountain, or in our case, beneath our vineyard, giving rise to the vineyard’s nickname.

Winemaking

The vines for this Pinot Noir were planted in 1982 in sandy loam soils with gravelly quartz dispersed throughout, and the fruit was harvested on 7 March 2024. The grapes were selectively harvested and destemmed in the vineyard, with 10% whole bunch retained, followed by a 3-day cold soak, a 7-day fermentation and 5 days of extended maceration before the free run and pressings were combined and racked to French oak hogsheads (20% new). Full malolactic fermentation occurred in barrel, where the wine was aged on lees for 16 months, and it was bottled in December 2025.