2020 Wasenhaus Gutedel Landwein
WINEMAKER: Christoph Wolber & Alexander Götze
REGION: Baden, GER
VARIETAL: Chasselas
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic
Gutedel is the same as Chasselas; a humble grape with a surprising depth and personality when farmed with attention. The Wasenhaus Gutedel is that, for sure. It is a light white wine (it has only about 10% alcohol), yet it has a layered complexity and a mineral-driven grip. Pair with oysters and good times. For the 2020 Gutedel, three quarters of the fruit was pressed directly and fermented in used 600 liter barrels; the final quarter was destemed and fermented on the skins for just over a week. This part was then pressed and fermented in used barrels. After six months on full lees in barrel the wine was racked once and then bottled.
Weingut Wasenhaus is located in Baden, Germany. Christoph Wolber and Alexander Götze met in Burgundy during their wine studies at the local school in Beaune. At the same time, they were both working full time in some of the largest biodynamic estates in Burgundy such as those of Pierre Morey, Leflaive, Comte Armand... Shortly after becoming roommates, they worked out the plan to return in Germany and set up their cellar in Baden. In Christoph’s home region, they looked for suitable plots and selected them carefully: one on the slopes of the Ehrenstettener Oelberg, and the other in the Ehrenkirchener Kirchberg. In recent years, they have bought several plots, some with very old vines. They grow their grapes, but also buy grapes from friends’ companies with a similar philosophy that are used in the production of Gutedel. Their first vintage came out in 2016 and it was a great success. Christoph and Alexander perform gentle extractions, with very little punching down during fermentation, and occasionally stirring to ensure healthy fermentation from the start. Sulfur is used judiciously and is only applied after the malolactic fermentation. The wines are all aged in oak barrels.