Notes from Becky Wasserman & Co:
"Born in Staufen in Breisgau, Germany, Bastian Wolber attended Rudolph Steiner schools until the age of 18. “We sewed and made wood products and were encouraged to give everything a shot,” he recalls. “There were no grades, only ‘reviews’ from teachers. It was super and made me feel confident.” However, he wanted to try something different from Steiner and studied Economics and German Tax Law – a route that he would soon discover did not fulfill his desire to create, explore, and connect with nature.
During this time, Bastian’s younger brother Christoph moved to Burgundy to pursue work amongst the vines. While Christoph spent his days honing his craft at Bernard van Berg, Domaine de la Vougeraie, Domaine Leflaive, and Comte Armand, his roommate Alex Götze did the same at Pierre Morey and Domaine de Montille. Inevitably, the two partnered and in 2016, they launched Wasenhaus winery in Baden.
Soon after, Bastian followed in his brother’s footsteps and began working vintages in Burgundy. He cut his teeth at Leflaive in 2013, and from the start, had visions of eventually making his own wine one day. “The urge grew stronger and stronger as I gained more winemaking experience,” he remembers.
Bastian returned home and purchased organically-farmed grapes from France and Germany, and vinified them at Wasenhaus. He named the project “Laisse Tomber” which means ‘let it go’. The literal meaning, though, is ‘Let it fall’. Bastian liked the allusion to his skateboarding accident, quite a bit in fact as his label also features a rider falling off his horse. Why a horse? His mother was a riding instructor and kept many horses at the family farm. “They symbolize sensibility and soul,” he adds.
Because Bastian’s production in 2019 was too small for it to be his fulltime vocation, he decided to return to Burgundy and further his wine studies at the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, where he pursued a diploma in oenology while also working alongside Jean-Yves Bizot, where he still sharpens his craft today. Bizot by day, solo project by night (and on days off, of course). In the future, Bastian would like to own his own vines in Germany, while also crafting négoce wines on the side. During the 2020 vintage, a friend asked Basti while sorting grapes what he likes to do for fun. His response? “This, actually!”
About the cuvee:
"50% Pinot Noir and 50% Gamay. From the backyard garden of a retired couple in the village of Comblanchien.
100% whole-cluster, 3-week ambient yeast fermentation and carbonic maceration in tank, minimal extraction by wetting the cap with buckets and 1-2 foot treads near the end of fermentation, aged for 10-12 months in used 228 and/or 350 L barrels, blended in tank for 1 month, no fining, no filtration, SO2 only added before bottling (approx. 10 ppm)."