Gunderloch Beerenauslese Riesling QmP 1999 375ml

The story of Weingut Gunderloch is one that is defined by extreme affection and an intense relationship with the majestic ‘Roter Hang’ in Germany’s Rheinhessen region, on which the Hasselbach family have grown grapes for 6 generations. A unique terroir, made up of iron oxide-rich red shale & clay, the Roter Hang dominates the northern Rheinhessen, with its steep slopes rising up sharply from the banks of the Rhine river. Such is their affection for the Roter Hang, the Hasselbach family see themselves as stewards of this mythical piece of land and refer to themselves as being ‘employees of the vineyard’.

The estate, that is found in the centre of the quaint, sleepy village of Nackenheim, dates back to 1890 when Carl Gunderloch, a banker at the time, purchased the fabled Nackeheim Rotenberg Vineyard. A bold move at the time, Carl was also one of the founding fathers of the Verband Deutcher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP), the body that is responsible for regulating the production of the wines of its members, and the driving force behind promoting quality over quantity in German wine. To this day, the Gunderloch estate remains a proud member of the VDP with current custodian, Johannes Hasselbach, the great-great-great grandson of Carl Gunderloch and the 6th generation of the family, to head up the family business, being the current head of the Rheinhessen chapter of the VDP.

Johannes took over the running of the family business from his father, Fritz, who sadly passed away far too young in 2016, and has continued the dedication to the soil that has been passed down from the generations before him. Naturally inquisitive, Johannes, along with his wife, Marie, and mother, Agnes, continue to push the estate forward without resting on their laurels. Today, the estate producers a dazzling array of wines that range from the playful entry level “Fritz’s” Riesling, through to the cerebral and intense GG wines made from grapes grown on the Roter Hang; and finally onto the deep and intense Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese made from grapes grown on the family’s prized and much-loved Rothenberg vineyard.

Attention to detail drives everything that happens at Gunderloch and the Hasselbach family’s intimate knowledge of the Roter Hang shines through in the wines. They are wines that ripple with energy, that are thought provoking and profound, that expertly exhibit the sites in which they are grown, but more importantly, are a pure joy to drink.