Makalié is a tiny estate founded in 2019 by Max Frölich and Karoline Linka in Müllheim, in the southern Baden region of Germany. Both trained at the University of Geisenheim and seasoned in natural wine cellars across France and Austria, they returned home with a commitment to making wines that feel inseparable from the land itself. The name Makalié reflects that philosophy, created from maka (earth) and lié (connected).

Their vineyards lie on steep slopes between the Black Forest, France, and Switzerland and their farming follows biodynamic principles, while in the cellar everything is done gently: hand harvests, spontaneous fermentations, aging in old Burgundian barrels and amphora, no fining or filtration, and only the faintest touch of sulfur at bottling. Production is microscopic, only a few hundred bottles per cuvée, yet the wines are pure and precise, vibrant and elegant, and a deeply personal expression of Baden’s terroirs and a philosophy of connection to the earth.

Makalié’s spätburgunder comes from five different biodynamically farmed vineyards with distinct geological characteristics, elevations and expositions. Soils range from loess-loam to volcanic-clay, to Jurassic limestone marl and this mosaic of terroirs lends the wine both lift and complexity that feels distinctly German. Fermented with 50% whole clusters and minimal extraction, then aged 11 months in used Burgundian barrels, it was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The wine is fragrant with redcurrant, wild strawberry, and rose, layered with spice and a fine mineral edge that reflects its diverse origins. Supple and finely textured, with bright acidity and delicate tannins, it shows the finesse of Burgundy through a distinctly Baden lens. The thoughtful vision of its makers results in a wine that is both as delicious as it is interesting.