After the jungle of wine called ProWein which happens to be once a year in March in Düsseldorf, Germany, and is the biggest wine exhibition in my opinion, offering a wide ranch of different wineries, wines and grape varieties from around the world like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and many more, one particular grape got my attention. Gutedel, as they call it in Germany or also known as Chasselas, Fendant in other countries. The profiling according to the Oxford Companion to wine from Jancis Robinson and Wikipedia says that the origin is upper Egypt others say French Swiss, another one mentions the Palestine but one thing they have in common, all are saying a number 5000, which is approximately the age of the grape variety in years. The German part of the story is the time when Markgraf Karl Friedrich von Baden (1728 until 1811) reorganized the wine region of Baden in Germany and saw the potential of making good wine in the region and promoted the grape Gutedel, which is translated “Good” for “Gut” and “Noble” for “Edel”. Once again an odd grape where the origin is mysterious and filled with rumors but the name shows already the importance at that time. But it is also told, that the romans brought this variety to Macon, France. More specifically to the village of Chasselas and the French gave it the name of the Village, that has been noticed the first time at about 1654. And if one knows me, I am always looking for the “odd” stuff, the exceptional grapes and wines. But as complex the history of this grape is, as much complex is the list of Synonyms for this grape:
Chasselas blanchette, Chasselas crognant, Chasselas croquant, Chasselas de Bar-sur-Aube, Chasselas de Bordeaux, Chasselas de Florence, Chasselas de Fontainebleau, Chasselas de Jalabert, Chasselas de la Contrie, Chasselas de la Naby, Chasselas de Moissac, Chasselas de Montauban, Chasselas de Mornain, Chasselas de Pondichery, Chasselas de Pontchartrain, Chasselas de Pouilly, Chasselas de Quercy, Chasselas de Rappelo, Chasselas de Tenerife, Chasselas de Teneriffe, Chasselas de Thomeri, Chasselas de Toulaud, Chasselas de Vaud, Chasselas di Fountanbleau, Chasselas di Thomery, Chasselas dorada, Chasselas dorato, Chasselas Doré, Chasselas Doré hâtif, Chasselas doré Salomon, Chasselas du Doubs, Chasselas du Portugal, Chasselas du Roi, Chasselas du Serial, Chasselas du Thor, Chasselas Dugommier, Chasselas dur, Chasselas fendant, Chasselas hâtif de Tenerife, Chasselas haute séléction, Chasselas Jalabert, Chasselas jaune ciré, Chasselas Piros, Chasselas plant droit, Chasselas Queen Victoria, Chasselas Reine Victoria, Chasseals Salsa, Chasselas Tokay Angevine, Chasselas vert de la Côte, Chasselas White, Chasselat, Chrupka, Chrupka biela, Common Muscadine, Dinka Belaya, Dinka blanche, Dobrorozne, Doppelte Spanische, Dorin (This name is not aloud anymore) (Waadtland, Wallis), Doucet, Eau douce blanche, Edelschön, Edelwein, Edelweiss, Elsässer, Elsässer weiss, Fabian, Fabiantraube, Fábiánszőlő, Fehér Chasselas, Fehér Fábiánszőlő, Fehér gyöngyszőlő (Ungarn, wörtlich „Weiße Perlentraube“), Fehér repoos, Fehér ropogos, Fehér ropvos Fábián, Fendant (Schweiz), Fendant blanc, Fendant roux, Fendant vert, Florenci Jouana, Franceset, Franceseta, Frauentraube, Gamet, Gelber Gutedel, Gemeiner Gutedel, Gentil blanc, Gentil vert, Golden Bordeaux, Golden Chasselas (Kalifornien und Australien), Großblättrige Spanische, Große Spanische, Grosser Spaniger, Grüner Gutedel, Gutedel weiß, Gyöngyszőlő, Gyöngyzőlő, Junker (Taubertal), Königs Gutedel, Kracher, Krachgutedel, Krachmost, Lardot, Lourdot, Maisa, Marzemina bianca (Italien), Marzemina niduca, Morlenche, Mornan blanc, Mornen, Mornen blanc, Most, Mostrebe, Moster (Österreich, Markgräflerland), Pariser Gutedel, Perlan (bei Genf), Pinzutella, Plamenka Belyi, Plant de Toulard, Plant de Toulaud, Plemenika praskava, Plemenka, Plemenka bela, Plemenka rana, Plemenka biela, Praskava, Pruscava biela, Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria White, Raisin d’officier, Ranka, Rebe Herrn, Rheinrebe, Rosmarinentraube, Rosmarintraube (Wallis), Royal Muscadine (England), Sasla, Sasla bela, Schönedel (Sachsen), Shasla belaya, Shasla Lechebnaya, Shasla Viktoria, Silberling, Silberweiß, Silberweißling, Süßling, Süßtraube, Sweetwater, Sweetwater white, Tribianco tedesco (Italien), Tribi vignoble (Italien), Ugne, Valais Blanc, Viviser, Vroege van der Laan, Wälsche, Wälscher (Österreich), Weißer Gutedel, Weißer Krachgutedel, White Chasselas, White Muscadine, White Sweetwater, White van der Laan, Witte Van der Laan (Niederlande), Zlahtina, Zlahtnina, Zlahtnina bijela und Zupljanka
Don’t worry no Sommelier ever knows all of that!
Chasselas blanchette, Chasselas crognant, Chasselas croquant, Chasselas de Bar-sur-Aube, Chasselas de Bordeaux, Chasselas de Florence, Chasselas de Fontainebleau, Chasselas de Jalabert, Chasselas de la Contrie, Chasselas de la Naby, Chasselas de Moissac, Chasselas de Montauban, Chasselas de Mornain, Chasselas de Pondichery, Chasselas de Pontchartrain, Chasselas de Pouilly, Chasselas de Quercy, Chasselas de Rappelo, Chasselas de Tenerife, Chasselas de Teneriffe, Chasselas de Thomeri, Chasselas de Toulaud, Chasselas de Vaud, Chasselas di Fountanbleau, Chasselas di Thomery, Chasselas dorada, Chasselas dorato, Chasselas Doré, Chasselas Doré hâtif, Chasselas doré Salomon, Chasselas du Doubs, Chasselas du Portugal, Chasselas du Roi, Chasselas du Serial, Chasselas du Thor, Chasselas Dugommier, Chasselas dur, Chasselas fendant, Chasselas hâtif de Tenerife, Chasselas haute séléction, Chasselas Jalabert, Chasselas jaune ciré, Chasselas Piros, Chasselas plant droit, Chasselas Queen Victoria, Chasselas Reine Victoria, Chasseals Salsa, Chasselas Tokay Angevine, Chasselas vert de la Côte, Chasselas White, Chasselat, Chrupka, Chrupka biela, Common Muscadine, Dinka Belaya, Dinka blanche, Dobrorozne, Doppelte Spanische, Dorin (This name is not aloud anymore) (Waadtland, Wallis), Doucet, Eau douce blanche, Edelschön, Edelwein, Edelweiss, Elsässer, Elsässer weiss, Fabian, Fabiantraube, Fábiánszőlő, Fehér Chasselas, Fehér Fábiánszőlő, Fehér gyöngyszőlő (Ungarn, wörtlich „Weiße Perlentraube“), Fehér repoos, Fehér ropogos, Fehér ropvos Fábián, Fendant (Schweiz), Fendant blanc, Fendant roux, Fendant vert, Florenci Jouana, Franceset, Franceseta, Frauentraube, Gamet, Gelber Gutedel, Gemeiner Gutedel, Gentil blanc, Gentil vert, Golden Bordeaux, Golden Chasselas (Kalifornien und Australien), Großblättrige Spanische, Große Spanische, Grosser Spaniger, Grüner Gutedel, Gutedel weiß, Gyöngyszőlő, Gyöngyzőlő, Junker (Taubertal), Königs Gutedel, Kracher, Krachgutedel, Krachmost, Lardot, Lourdot, Maisa, Marzemina bianca (Italien), Marzemina niduca, Morlenche, Mornan blanc, Mornen, Mornen blanc, Most, Mostrebe, Moster (Österreich, Markgräflerland), Pariser Gutedel, Perlan (bei Genf), Pinzutella, Plamenka Belyi, Plant de Toulard, Plant de Toulaud, Plemenika praskava, Plemenka, Plemenka bela, Plemenka rana, Plemenka biela, Praskava, Pruscava biela, Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria White, Raisin d’officier, Ranka, Rebe Herrn, Rheinrebe, Rosmarinentraube, Rosmarintraube (Wallis), Royal Muscadine (England), Sasla, Sasla bela, Schönedel (Sachsen), Shasla belaya, Shasla Lechebnaya, Shasla Viktoria, Silberling, Silberweiß, Silberweißling, Süßling, Süßtraube, Sweetwater, Sweetwater white, Tribianco tedesco (Italien), Tribi vignoble (Italien), Ugne, Valais Blanc, Viviser, Vroege van der Laan, Wälsche, Wälscher (Österreich), Weißer Gutedel, Weißer Krachgutedel, White Chasselas, White Muscadine, White Sweetwater, White van der Laan, Witte Van der Laan (Niederlande), Zlahtina, Zlahtnina, Zlahtnina bijela und Zupljanka
Don’t worry no Sommelier ever knows all of that!
However, one fact of this grape variety is, that it exists in red and white and is also used as a table grape for eating by itself. Today this grape variety is grown and vinified in larger quantities into wine only in this countries: Germany (Gutedel), Switzerland (Chasselas in west and Fendant in Valais), France (Chasselas), Hungary (Fehér gyöngyszőlő, literally “white Perl grape”), and Slovenia. The red grape is not as close as famous as the white and mostly made for table grapes.
According to a research of the University of Adelaide (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/wine-econ/databases/winegrapes/) from 2010 the grape variety has about 13638ha in the world, but remember not all of that is made into wine. The Gutedel in Germany is grown on about 1300 hectares, from this amount 1200 ha are grown in Markgräfer county a sub region in Baden south west Germany, the rest of 100ha is split up into all other regions in Germany, at the same time in Switzerland about 3885ha of Chasselas is grown and is the most planted white grape variety followed by Müller-Thurgau. In France the grape is grown on 1676ha in total which is about 0,2% of the of all grapes grown in France. The Gutedel undergoes difficult times in the market, since the upcoming of the new world wines and therefore the increasing full bodied wines, which was the trend the decates, the light and low alcohol grapes are suffering, like the Gutedel. However, since a couple of years the trend to drink lighter wines, coming from Bordeaux as far as I know. People are making and drinking wines with lower amount of alcohol and trying to define famous grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc new and change their wines. This can result that the wine drinker get even more confused. So why don´t chose a different grape like Chasselas if you like that kind of wines? This grape has been existing longer than Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand (1973) or Zweigelt in Austria (1922), and has been enjoyed for many centuries.
For my tasting I took three different kinds of Gutedel and Chasselas from Germany and Fendant from Switzerland.
Number one was of course the one I tasted on the ProWein from the Weingut Blanckenhorn, an VDP member from Markgräferland a sub region of Baden from the 2015 vintage. The second one is a random chosen wine called Schlossgut Ebringen Chasselas 2013 from a Vinothek Kopp around here, also from Baden and the third Fendant, Cave St. Pierre 2014 with the origin from Vallais, Switzerland bought in a supermarket.
The ones from Germany are from the same region but only differs from climates, sun exposure and soils. The opinions about the optimum soil goes from winemaker to viticulturist in same direction, loess/clay. One could describe the wine produced from Chasselas as a light, fruity wine, low acidity, alcohol is between 10,5 and 12 ABV and aromatic exotic fruit aromas.
I was sending a Email to all three of them with the same question, but two of them didn’t answer. However the one answering was Ralph Ropohl, Diplom Ingeneur and Viticulturist and Oenologist at the Vineyard Blankenhorn:
How would you describe Gutedel in generel?
A light wine with very mild/low acidity and light alcohol. Tart fruit a slightly nutty. A very easy drinking wine.
How does a Gutedel wine develope with time in the bottle? Is it an ageable wine?
Usual it should be drunk young. However, the high end wines can age quite well.
Where does the grape come from in your knowledge?
Upper Asia
What is the best soil for this grape?
Fertile clay-loess soil
Is the Grape able to produce sweet wines?
Not really because of the lack of acidity
Is the grape an early or late ripening variety?
A thankful variety which stays stable during ripening
Why is that grape in the shadow of all other withe varieties like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling?
Gutedel is almost entirely only grown in the Markgräferland a subregion of Baden, Germany and it does not have the expression of Riesling and Grauburgunder!
What do you like of this grape?
A great drinkability, a wine to drink!
What do you dislike with this grape?
The yields, one has to look for a good quality at the veraison!
Is it difficult to cultivate?
Nein!
How much hectare of Gutedel do you have?
5,8 ha
Other comments?
Drink more Gutedel!
At the same time, I had a quick chat with Robert Schätzle from the vineyard Schloss Neuweier also from Baden. He does not have any Gutedel himself but is a consultant from other vineyards which do and says also that the grape produces a light and spicy wine with low alcohol. He also agrees with the types of soils like clay and loess but perhaps chalk. He motivates also that other soils with a high amount of minerals would bring the wine to a too low expression, maybe a wrong expression. In other words, minerals would make it more ageable but would lose taste, texture and fruit. Since it is already low in acidity, minaerality, and wine needs all of that to stay alive in the bottle. Robert says, that it is a great day to day wine with a low amount of alcohol, which brings me to the idea, that the recent trends in the wine world is actually low alcoholic wines, so I am actually surprised that this wine didn’t make it into the top 20 of the grapes and rather on the extinguishing trend and disappearing from the map.
Yes, I know the Rieslings from Germany are great no doubt, I like them as much as all the other Sommeliers and are also low in alcohol, but I need also to say that sometimes I think they are first of all drunken to young and secondly sometimes so mineralic that I miss sometimes the juiciness for the drink flow. Back to the Gutedel here is my taste results:
According to a research of the University of Adelaide (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/wine-econ/databases/winegrapes/) from 2010 the grape variety has about 13638ha in the world, but remember not all of that is made into wine. The Gutedel in Germany is grown on about 1300 hectares, from this amount 1200 ha are grown in Markgräfer county a sub region in Baden south west Germany, the rest of 100ha is split up into all other regions in Germany, at the same time in Switzerland about 3885ha of Chasselas is grown and is the most planted white grape variety followed by Müller-Thurgau. In France the grape is grown on 1676ha in total which is about 0,2% of the of all grapes grown in France. The Gutedel undergoes difficult times in the market, since the upcoming of the new world wines and therefore the increasing full bodied wines, which was the trend the decates, the light and low alcohol grapes are suffering, like the Gutedel. However, since a couple of years the trend to drink lighter wines, coming from Bordeaux as far as I know. People are making and drinking wines with lower amount of alcohol and trying to define famous grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc new and change their wines. This can result that the wine drinker get even more confused. So why don´t chose a different grape like Chasselas if you like that kind of wines? This grape has been existing longer than Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand (1973) or Zweigelt in Austria (1922), and has been enjoyed for many centuries.
For my tasting I took three different kinds of Gutedel and Chasselas from Germany and Fendant from Switzerland.
Number one was of course the one I tasted on the ProWein from the Weingut Blanckenhorn, an VDP member from Markgräferland a sub region of Baden from the 2015 vintage. The second one is a random chosen wine called Schlossgut Ebringen Chasselas 2013 from a Vinothek Kopp around here, also from Baden and the third Fendant, Cave St. Pierre 2014 with the origin from Vallais, Switzerland bought in a supermarket.
The ones from Germany are from the same region but only differs from climates, sun exposure and soils. The opinions about the optimum soil goes from winemaker to viticulturist in same direction, loess/clay. One could describe the wine produced from Chasselas as a light, fruity wine, low acidity, alcohol is between 10,5 and 12 ABV and aromatic exotic fruit aromas.
I was sending a Email to all three of them with the same question, but two of them didn’t answer. However the one answering was Ralph Ropohl, Diplom Ingeneur and Viticulturist and Oenologist at the Vineyard Blankenhorn:
How would you describe Gutedel in generel?
A light wine with very mild/low acidity and light alcohol. Tart fruit a slightly nutty. A very easy drinking wine.
How does a Gutedel wine develope with time in the bottle? Is it an ageable wine?
Usual it should be drunk young. However, the high end wines can age quite well.
Where does the grape come from in your knowledge?
Upper Asia
What is the best soil for this grape?
Fertile clay-loess soil
Is the Grape able to produce sweet wines?
Not really because of the lack of acidity
Is the grape an early or late ripening variety?
A thankful variety which stays stable during ripening
Why is that grape in the shadow of all other withe varieties like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling?
Gutedel is almost entirely only grown in the Markgräferland a subregion of Baden, Germany and it does not have the expression of Riesling and Grauburgunder!
What do you like of this grape?
A great drinkability, a wine to drink!
What do you dislike with this grape?
The yields, one has to look for a good quality at the veraison!
Is it difficult to cultivate?
Nein!
How much hectare of Gutedel do you have?
5,8 ha
Other comments?
Drink more Gutedel!
At the same time, I had a quick chat with Robert Schätzle from the vineyard Schloss Neuweier also from Baden. He does not have any Gutedel himself but is a consultant from other vineyards which do and says also that the grape produces a light and spicy wine with low alcohol. He also agrees with the types of soils like clay and loess but perhaps chalk. He motivates also that other soils with a high amount of minerals would bring the wine to a too low expression, maybe a wrong expression. In other words, minerals would make it more ageable but would lose taste, texture and fruit. Since it is already low in acidity, minaerality, and wine needs all of that to stay alive in the bottle. Robert says, that it is a great day to day wine with a low amount of alcohol, which brings me to the idea, that the recent trends in the wine world is actually low alcoholic wines, so I am actually surprised that this wine didn’t make it into the top 20 of the grapes and rather on the extinguishing trend and disappearing from the map.
Yes, I know the Rieslings from Germany are great no doubt, I like them as much as all the other Sommeliers and are also low in alcohol, but I need also to say that sometimes I think they are first of all drunken to young and secondly sometimes so mineralic that I miss sometimes the juiciness for the drink flow. Back to the Gutedel here is my taste results:
Colour:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Intense yellow
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Intense yellow -/ slight bubbles
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Pale/ green
Intensity of aromas
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Aromatic -
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Aromatic
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Aromatic
Aromas:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Vanilla, ripe golden mango, acacia Honey
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Apricots, nectarines
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Green apples, honeydew melon, starfruit
Taste:
Acidity:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 low--
Cave St.Pierre 2014 low+
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 low
All are dry
Alcohol:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 12% abv
Cave St.Pierre 2014 12% abv
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 11,5% abv
Flavours:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Butter, Bananas, oak, Moules Frites in garlic sauce
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Apricots, herbs, vanilla
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Honeydew melon, Kiwi, Starfruit
Body:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Medium
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Medium-
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Light
Finish:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Long and dull
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Long and complex
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Medium and fresh
Comments:
The Swiss was quite good and complex with many different compounds but didn’t show so much in the nose and stone minerals, Schlossgut Ebringen was obviously oak barrel aged, I am not sure if someone should age a wine with low acidity, because it rarely benefits from micro oxidation. It was flat tasted like butter, medium bodied and a lack of …… a lot actually but I am sure some do like that taste. Blankenhorn was very young, I liked the freshness in combination with the exotic fruits, aromatic smell of green hints. No sign of alcohol, makes you just want the summer to come and sit in the garden, balcony whatever you have and have a glass or two without getting tired of it, good Juice, and to finish i will answer why question above: Gutedel/Chasselas/Fendant same Grape different wine? Answer is yes from country to country different and one has to look closer and try it before you buy it. But i also can confirm Ralph Ropohl´s statement: "Drink more Gutedel!"
Cheers
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Intense yellow
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Intense yellow -/ slight bubbles
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Pale/ green
Intensity of aromas
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Aromatic -
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Aromatic
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Aromatic
Aromas:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Vanilla, ripe golden mango, acacia Honey
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Apricots, nectarines
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Green apples, honeydew melon, starfruit
Taste:
Acidity:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 low--
Cave St.Pierre 2014 low+
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 low
All are dry
Alcohol:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 12% abv
Cave St.Pierre 2014 12% abv
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 11,5% abv
Flavours:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Butter, Bananas, oak, Moules Frites in garlic sauce
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Apricots, herbs, vanilla
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Honeydew melon, Kiwi, Starfruit
Body:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Medium
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Medium-
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Light
Finish:
Schlossgut Ebringen 2013 Long and dull
Cave St.Pierre 2014 Long and complex
Weingut Blankenhorn 2015 Medium and fresh
Comments:
The Swiss was quite good and complex with many different compounds but didn’t show so much in the nose and stone minerals, Schlossgut Ebringen was obviously oak barrel aged, I am not sure if someone should age a wine with low acidity, because it rarely benefits from micro oxidation. It was flat tasted like butter, medium bodied and a lack of …… a lot actually but I am sure some do like that taste. Blankenhorn was very young, I liked the freshness in combination with the exotic fruits, aromatic smell of green hints. No sign of alcohol, makes you just want the summer to come and sit in the garden, balcony whatever you have and have a glass or two without getting tired of it, good Juice, and to finish i will answer why question above: Gutedel/Chasselas/Fendant same Grape different wine? Answer is yes from country to country different and one has to look closer and try it before you buy it. But i also can confirm Ralph Ropohl´s statement: "Drink more Gutedel!"
Cheers