Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling 2023

Rheinhessen, Germany

Gunderloch is a thriving estate of approximately twenty-five hectares of vines in some of the top vineyards of the "Roter Hang" ("red slope") area in the Rheinhessen appellation. One hundred and thirty years after its founding, the story at Gunderloch, one of the Rheinhessen's most revered estates, is evolving. The changes happening here are cause for real excitement, and all of them are springing from the restless mind of Johannes Hasselbach, the master and commander of the estate since 2016. He is taking Gunderloch in a new direction, and the resulting wines are achieving levels of grace, balance, and natural energy they have never seen before. The estate has been practicing organic for five years. Johannes started the certification process in 2020. He has also become one of the "young guns" leading the charge for studying and promoting chemical-free viticulture at the VDP.

A feinherb or "off-dry" style (around 20-25g/l RS depending on the vintage) named in honor of Johannes' father, world-renowned winemaker Fritz Hasselbach at the Gunderloch winery. This grows in a very small and special part of Rheinhessen called the Roter Hang meaning the “red hill”. Located between the village of Nackenheim and the village of Nierstein 20 kilometers south of the city of Mainz, the characteristic name of this area is ascribable to its vivid red slate soil. The vineyards are very close to the river Rhein on steep slopes facing south-east. The combination of those four factors—the red slate soil, the closeness to the river, great sun exposure and the steepness of the vineyards—are the perfect combination to produce Fritz’s Riesling, one of the best value wines in the market.

Enjoy Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling over the next 4-5 years with pan-fried trout, grilled shrimp, fried chicken, and spicy Thai dishes.