Fenchelburg Riesling GG
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed from 5 to 15 years after the vintage release, as its intense acidity and mineral structure beautifully integrate and develop complex petrol and honeyed notes over time.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared sea bass with lemon-herb butter, roasted pork belly, or creamy chanterelle mushroom risotto.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the warm, sun-drenched terraces of the 'Roter Hang' (Red Slope) in Rheinhessen, the Gunderloch Fenchelburg Riesling Grosses Gewächs (GG) is a dry masterpiece steeped in local history. The vineyard's name, historically associated with the wild fennel ('Fenchel') that once thrived on these sun-baked slopes, hints at the unique herbal complexity found in the glass. Grown on ancient, iron-rich red clay-slate soils (Rotliegendes), the vines benefit from both the heat-retaining stone and the light-reflecting Rhine River nearby. Johannes Hasselbach guides this fruit through spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, followed by extended lees contact in traditional large oak casks. This minimal-intervention approach yields a dry Riesling of immense structure, marrying vibrant stone fruit and citrus notes with a distinctive smoky, flinty minerality and a delicate, wild-herb finish.
🍾 About the Producer
Weingut Gunderloch was established in 1890 when Mainz banker Carl Gunderloch acquired prime parcels on the steep banks of the Rhine, later becoming a founding member of the VDP. Anchored in Nackenheim, the estate comprises approximately 29 to 31 hectares centered along the legendary Roter Hang ('Red Slope'). This dramatic geological formation is dominated by 280-million-year-old Permian red shale, clay, and slate (Rotliegend), which imbues the vines with unmatched mineral depth, phenolic tension, and warmth reflected from the adjacent river. Sixth-generation winegrower Johannes Hasselbach took the helm in 2016, ushering in certified organic farming, spontaneous fermentations, and a paradigm shift toward tension, lower alcohol, and transparency. Benchmark expressions range from the precise, off-dry Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett and bone-dry Grosse Gewächse from Nackenheimer Rothenberg and Niersteiner Pettenthal to world-renowned auction-grade Auslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen.
🍇 Grapes
100% Riesling