DROP 23
Drop 23
With Tino Kuban & Winery Jülg
For Drop 23, I’m starting something new — and honestly, something I’ve wanted to do for a while: the very first chapter of the GOAT Series.
The idea behind it is simple. In each edition, I want to bring together one exciting talent from Burgundy and one outstanding German Pinot Noir producer — bottles with identity, energy, tension and real character. For this opening chapter, I went with Domaine Jülg and Maison Glandien. A combination that feels incredibly strong right from the start.
Jülg is one of those names that keeps coming up the moment you start talking seriously about German Pinot Noir. And there is a reason for that. These wines have precision, elegance, freshness and that quiet confidence that makes really good Pinot so compelling. Next to that, Maison Glandien brings exactly the kind of raw Burgundy energy I always look for — alive, vibrant, textured and full of soul.
Together, these two bottles show exactly what this new series is about: Germany and Burgundy in dialogue, through Pinot Noir.
And yes — this will also be the last drop with Maison Glandien for now. Which makes this first GOAT chapter feel even more special.
Inside the box
2023 Sonnenberg KT – Domaine Jülg
Sonnenberg KT 2023 is a Pinot Noir with serious tension, shape and that kind of quiet authority you notice straight away. There is something stony, fine-boned and beautifully focused here. This is not a soft or easygoing style of Pinot. It has grip, freshness, structure and a very clear sense of direction.
Johannes Jülg is one of those names wine nerds keep mentioning again and again when the conversation turns to who is seriously pushing German Pinot Noir forward. And with good reason. What makes his wines so exciting is that they feel polished and precise without ever losing energy or life. Sonnenberg KT 2023 brings exactly that balance: cool fruit, fine tannins, freshness and a restrained elegance that makes it incredibly compelling.
It is classy, tense and beautifully self-assured Pinot Noir.
Drinking recommendation: Now with air, or cellar for a few years
2024 L’Ouverture Rouge – Maison Glandien
L’Ouverture Rouge 2024 is a Pinot Noir with freshness, structure and a cooler, more tension-filled side of Burgundy. This is not about sweet fruit or easy charm. There is more seriousness underneath — more energy, more lift, more movement.
In the cellar, Tino works instinctively, but never without direction. What makes this wine so exciting is exactly that mix of wildness and control. It feels alive, uncompromising and full of character — Burgundy with edge, pulse and soul.
There is something raw and vibrant here, but also something precise. A wine that does not try to please everyone, but instead says something clearly. And that is exactly why it belongs in this first GOAT chapter.
Drinking recommendation: Now if you like tension and energy, or hold for more depth