German red wine need not choose between lightness and power. What is more interesting is how fruit, acidity and tannin relate to one another: herbs can give dark berry fruit definition, oak can temper concentration, and acidity can keep a powerful body lively. Three dry wines from the 2022 vintage place distinctly different emphases on these elements.
Schnaitmann’s “Steinwiege” Lemberger from Fellbach, Huber’s “Malterdinger” Spätburgunder from Baden and Rings’ Pfalz blend “Das kleine Kreuz” represent three distinctive red wine styles. Their common denominator is not maximum richness, but the interplay of substance and tension.
Schnaitmann: spice with modest alcohol
The 2022 “Steinwiege” Lemberger comes in at 12.5 per cent alcohol. According to the estate, the grapes grow on gypsum-rich Keuper soils and undergo spontaneous whole-bunch fermentation on their skins. The wine then matures for 24 months in old, large wooden casks and is bottled unfiltered. This approach gives the wine plenty of time in seasoned wood, without allowing new-oak spice to take centre stage.
Schnaitmann describes a complex spectrum of sour cherry, blackberry and cassis, accompanied by juniper, thyme and black tea. The estate also notes lively acidity and ripe, tightly knit tannins. The appeal of this Lemberger thus lies in its spicy definition: dark fruit, but a character not built solely around fruit sweetness.
Residual sugar of 0.4 grams and acidity of 6 grams per litre underline its dry style. This is a serious alternative to the notion that approachable red wine must above all be soft. The estate’s suggested food pairings include roasted vegetables, stews and game birds.
Huber: Spätburgunder with concentration
The 2022 “Malterdinger” Spätburgunder from Weingut Bernhard Huber strikes a different note. This village wine from Baden has 13.5 per cent alcohol and comes from Malterdingen, where shell limestone shapes the soils. Here, the focus is not on delicate red berries, but on a more concentrated style of Pinot.
In its September 2024 tasting, Weinfurore highlights black cherry and blackberry, alongside liquorice, dried herbs and smoky oak spice. The note also describes fine tannins and acidity that is already well integrated. This combination is crucial: precise tannins give the concentration shape, rather than simply adding weight.
The use of a proportion of new barriques is part of this profile. The oak provides a spicy frame for the dark fruit. Within the trio, the “Malterdinger” thus represents a substantial Spätburgunder whose ambitions extend beyond uncomplicated fruitiness. Weinfurore gives a drinking window of 2025 to 2032.
Rings: a blend with juicy drive
“Das kleine Kreuz” 2022 combines Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and St. Laurent. This dry Pfalz blend has 14 per cent alcohol and matures in both new and used barriques. It is fuller-bodied in character, yet acidity remains an essential part of its balance.
At VINUM’s 2024 German Red Wine Awards, it took second place among the blends with 93 points. The jury notes blackcurrant, blueberry and vanilla, particularly emphasising its juicy fruit and distinctly present acidity. The drinking window given there runs from 2024 to 2028.
It is precisely this freshness that makes the style interesting: this is no red that confuses power with ponderousness. Alongside the herb-driven Lemberger and the concentrated Pinot, “Das kleine Kreuz” offers the fuller signature of a blend. Three different paths, then: spice at Schnaitmann, concentration at Huber, and generous fruit with a streak of acidity at Rings.
Original reviewed by the editors · 5 November 2026
