s guate Tröpfle Pinot Noir Liqueur. Red wine liqueur made from velvety Pinot Noir, aged for one year, 20.1% ABV – from Durchhausen.

s guate Tröpfle Pinot Noir Liqueur is a red wine liqueur from the small liqueur manufactory run by Andrea and Oliver in Durchhausen in the district of Tuttlingen. Based on velvety Pinot Noir, aged for one year, 20.1% ABV, 200 ml in a slender bottle. No added flavorings, no coloring, no preservatives – the wine itself provides the color and fruitiness.

Pinot Noir Liqueur by s guate Tröpfle is a wine liqueur, meaning a liqueur based on wine rather than a distillate. The producer carefully selects the wines so that their fruitiness carries over into the liqueur and blends with the added components and spices. This bottle is given a full year to age and is marketed by the producer as a limited special edition alongside the young Pinot Noir liqueur. For us, the aged Pinot Noir has been the top seller from s guate Tröpfle for years – the bottle with which most people get to know the brand.

Bright red, fruity, easy-drinking, yet dry enough

The liqueur shows an intense, luminous color and a pleasant fruit aroma, characteristic of Pinot Noir. The producer describes it as easy-drinking but not too sweet – and that is exactly where it differs from many other red wine liqueurs.

The sweetness is present, but it sits behind the fruit, and the year of aging rounds off the edges. In the glass, it smells first of dark berries and ripe red wine, remains velvety on the palate, and finishes warm, noticeably 20.1% ABV but never sharp. Those expecting a heavy, syrupy liqueur will find it lighter and more wine-like than the word "liqueur" might suggest. According to the producer, the alcohol content may vary slightly by batch; the label is authoritative.

At 18 to 22 degrees in a shot glass, in good company

The producer recommends a serving temperature of 18 to 22 °C (room temperature) and a small shot glass. Two centiliters are enough, sipped slowly, after a meal or with coffee on a Sunday afternoon.

A sip pairs well with dark chocolate and a piece of red-rind cheese. If you enjoy it in summer, add a centiliter to a glass of sparkling wine or pour it over vanilla ice cream. Once opened, the bottle should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within a few weeks because the producer does not use preservatives. With 20.1% ABV, the liqueur is a spirit: sold only to those aged 18 and over.

Our tip: Take the liqueur out of the cool cellar a quarter of an hour before pouring – the fruit of the Pinot Noir only fully opens up at room temperature.

Selected wine, artisanal maceration, one year of aging

s guate Tröpfle is the liqueur manufactory of Andrea and Oliver in Durchhausen, a village in the district of Tuttlingen between the Black Forest and Lake Constance. All liqueurs are produced there by hand through maceration – from the initial blending to bottling and shipping, with no mechanical production, as described by the manufacturer themselves.

For the wine liqueurs, the manufactory selects wines whose flavors harmonize with the added ingredients and spices. With the Pinot Noir, time is added: it is allowed to age for one year before bottling. Many of the house's recipes date back to family traditions and old books, which Andrea and Oliver have further developed. The producer does not disclose the origin of the Pinot Noir; the aging process and the manual labor are documented, and you can taste both.

For red wine drinkers, digestif lovers, and as a small gift

The Pinot Noir Liqueur is the bottle for anyone who likes red wine and prefers something sweet in a small glass after a meal rather than a fruit brandy. At 200 ml, it is a gift that fits in every bag and is usually opened by the host the same evening.

The same base with a fine cherry note and in a heart-shaped bottle is available as Kiss Me Heart Pinot Noir Liqueur, while the Raspberry Liqueur made from regional raspberries is fruitier and based on berries rather than wine. You can find all bottles from Durchhausen on our s guate Tröpfle page, and other liqueurs from different producers in the Liqueurs category. This liqueur is not suitable for those looking for a clear, dry digestif – it is and remains a sweet wine liqueur.

Velvety Pinot Noir, one year of aging, 20.1% ABV – the red wine liqueur from s guate Tröpfle for that small glass after a meal.