Wasenhaus ‘Gutedel’ White 2019
Location: Germany, Baden
Winemaker: Alex Götze & Christoph Wolber
Grapes: Gutedel
From the Importer Vom Boden: Alex Götze and Christoph Wolber, two Germans, were bitten by the same Burgundy-bug and ended up meeting each other in Beaune, both on their own wine-pilgrimage. Alex was born and raised in the area of Dresden and came to wine through architecture. Christoph was raised in Baden and a bottle of Bernard van Berg was so compelling that he ended up just jumping on his motorcycle and heading east.
Over a period of five-plus years, both garnered pretty serious Burgundian credentials, working at Comte Armand, Bernard van Berg, Leflaive, de Montille, Pierre Morey and Domaine de la Vougeraie. Alex, in fact, remains the vineyard manager for de Montille.
How can he work for de Montille and be involved in winemaking in Baden? The holy land of Pinot Noir is only about two-and-a-half hours due south east from Baden y’all, just FYI.
This is not another vague and salesy essay about how Baden can make Burgundian wines; at the same time, the similarity in geography and, in some cases, soil type should also not be ignored. In any event, in this case, the geographical proximity allows Wasenhaus to exist.
As for the wines, the measured introduction would be something like: these are among the most talked-about wines in Germany and they deserve this status. Honestly, few people taste these wines and not have an eyebrow raise or a jaw drop. They are not only that good, but they are that obviously good.
Similar to Enderle & Moll, the Wasenhaus Pinot Noirs show an uncommon lightness and clarity; a finesse that embarrasses just about all other German Pinot Noirs. While Enderle & Moll tends to present more tense, a bit more structured and wild, the Wasenhaus wines are ultra-fine, with a textural elegance that is second to none. If Enderle & Moll is punk rock; Wasenhaus is chamber music – one isn’t better than the other, but they are very different.
The focus at Wasenhaus (thus named after the farm that Christoph grew up at, focusing on horses and not wine) is old vines, old clones, and in general curious parcels that dot the landscape of southern Baden. Alex and Christoph seek out vineyards that have been ignored because they are too hard to work, because the yields are too low, for whatever quirky reason.
The farming is organic with elements of biodynamics woven in. They own very small plots near Staufen (this is where the farm “Wasenhaus” is located) and buy grapes from specific farmers and specific plots in the Kaiserstühl. The winemaking is low intervention. The white wines are all whole-cluster pressed with a basket press; the élevage is in neutral barrels of varying sizes. The reds are fermented in open-top vats and then aged in neutral barrels as well. Only natural yeasts are used, and all wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sulfur is used only at bottling and minimally.
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 wine wine (it only has about 10% alcohol), yet is has a layered complexity and a mineral-driven grip. For the 2020 vintage, three quarters of the fruit was pressed directly and fermented in used 600L barrels; the final quarter was destemmed 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. Pair with oysters and good times.
Location: Germany, Baden
Winemaker: Alex Götze & Christoph Wolber
Grapes: Gutedel
From the Importer Vom Boden: Alex Götze and Christoph Wolber, two Germans, were bitten by the same Burgundy-bug and ended up meeting each other in Beaune, both on their own wine-pilgrimage. Alex was born and raised in the area of Dresden and came to wine through architecture. Christoph was raised in Baden and a bottle of Bernard van Berg was so compelling that he ended up just jumping on his motorcycle and heading east.
Over a period of five-plus years, both garnered pretty serious Burgundian credentials, working at Comte Armand, Bernard van Berg, Leflaive, de Montille, Pierre Morey and Domaine de la Vougeraie. Alex, in fact, remains the vineyard manager for de Montille.
How can he work for de Montille and be involved in winemaking in Baden? The holy land of Pinot Noir is only about two-and-a-half hours due south east from Baden y’all, just FYI.
This is not another vague and salesy essay about how Baden can make Burgundian wines; at the same time, the similarity in geography and, in some cases, soil type should also not be ignored. In any event, in this case, the geographical proximity allows Wasenhaus to exist.
As for the wines, the measured introduction would be something like: these are among the most talked-about wines in Germany and they deserve this status. Honestly, few people taste these wines and not have an eyebrow raise or a jaw drop. They are not only that good, but they are that obviously good.
Similar to Enderle & Moll, the Wasenhaus Pinot Noirs show an uncommon lightness and clarity; a finesse that embarrasses just about all other German Pinot Noirs. While Enderle & Moll tends to present more tense, a bit more structured and wild, the Wasenhaus wines are ultra-fine, with a textural elegance that is second to none. If Enderle & Moll is punk rock; Wasenhaus is chamber music – one isn’t better than the other, but they are very different.
The focus at Wasenhaus (thus named after the farm that Christoph grew up at, focusing on horses and not wine) is old vines, old clones, and in general curious parcels that dot the landscape of southern Baden. Alex and Christoph seek out vineyards that have been ignored because they are too hard to work, because the yields are too low, for whatever quirky reason.
The farming is organic with elements of biodynamics woven in. They own very small plots near Staufen (this is where the farm “Wasenhaus” is located) and buy grapes from specific farmers and specific plots in the Kaiserstühl. The winemaking is low intervention. The white wines are all whole-cluster pressed with a basket press; the élevage is in neutral barrels of varying sizes. The reds are fermented in open-top vats and then aged in neutral barrels as well. Only natural yeasts are used, and all wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sulfur is used only at bottling and minimally.
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 wine wine (it only has about 10% alcohol), yet is has a layered complexity and a mineral-driven grip. For the 2020 vintage, three quarters of the fruit was pressed directly and fermented in used 600L barrels; the final quarter was destemmed 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. Pair with oysters and good times.
Location: Germany, Baden
Winemaker: Alex Götze & Christoph Wolber
Grapes: Gutedel
From the Importer Vom Boden: Alex Götze and Christoph Wolber, two Germans, were bitten by the same Burgundy-bug and ended up meeting each other in Beaune, both on their own wine-pilgrimage. Alex was born and raised in the area of Dresden and came to wine through architecture. Christoph was raised in Baden and a bottle of Bernard van Berg was so compelling that he ended up just jumping on his motorcycle and heading east.
Over a period of five-plus years, both garnered pretty serious Burgundian credentials, working at Comte Armand, Bernard van Berg, Leflaive, de Montille, Pierre Morey and Domaine de la Vougeraie. Alex, in fact, remains the vineyard manager for de Montille.
How can he work for de Montille and be involved in winemaking in Baden? The holy land of Pinot Noir is only about two-and-a-half hours due south east from Baden y’all, just FYI.
This is not another vague and salesy essay about how Baden can make Burgundian wines; at the same time, the similarity in geography and, in some cases, soil type should also not be ignored. In any event, in this case, the geographical proximity allows Wasenhaus to exist.
As for the wines, the measured introduction would be something like: these are among the most talked-about wines in Germany and they deserve this status. Honestly, few people taste these wines and not have an eyebrow raise or a jaw drop. They are not only that good, but they are that obviously good.
Similar to Enderle & Moll, the Wasenhaus Pinot Noirs show an uncommon lightness and clarity; a finesse that embarrasses just about all other German Pinot Noirs. While Enderle & Moll tends to present more tense, a bit more structured and wild, the Wasenhaus wines are ultra-fine, with a textural elegance that is second to none. If Enderle & Moll is punk rock; Wasenhaus is chamber music – one isn’t better than the other, but they are very different.
The focus at Wasenhaus (thus named after the farm that Christoph grew up at, focusing on horses and not wine) is old vines, old clones, and in general curious parcels that dot the landscape of southern Baden. Alex and Christoph seek out vineyards that have been ignored because they are too hard to work, because the yields are too low, for whatever quirky reason.
The farming is organic with elements of biodynamics woven in. They own very small plots near Staufen (this is where the farm “Wasenhaus” is located) and buy grapes from specific farmers and specific plots in the Kaiserstühl. The winemaking is low intervention. The white wines are all whole-cluster pressed with a basket press; the élevage is in neutral barrels of varying sizes. The reds are fermented in open-top vats and then aged in neutral barrels as well. Only natural yeasts are used, and all wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sulfur is used only at bottling and minimally.
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 wine wine (it only has about 10% alcohol), yet is has a layered complexity and a mineral-driven grip. For the 2020 vintage, three quarters of the fruit was pressed directly and fermented in used 600L barrels; the final quarter was destemmed 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. Pair with oysters and good times.