The underestimated

In Focus: Gutedel and Müller-Thurgau

9 December, 2022

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting

At glance, and Gutedel have little in common. Gutedel , which is called in Switzerland and increasingly also in this country, is the oldest cultivated grape variety of all and already had the reputation of being a particularly noble variety in Germany, when the was still considered an unpleasant sour grape. , on the other hand, was not crossed with until the beginning of the 20th century by the Swiss grape breeder in from and then further developed at the Research Institute, where it received its name in 1913. It has always been considered an easy-to-cultivate variety for everyday wines without special demands.

The reputation of the Müller has hardly changed to this day, but that of the Gutedel has - despite dedicated producers here and there. And this is where the similarities begin: because both are being done an injustice.

The Gutedel 's undoing was that it has so little acidity. Under earlier climatic conditions, this lack of acidity was a decisive advantage, as Chasselas wines were also enjoyable in cool years - and they were once the rule - without plenty of sugar. But over time, the variety was pushed out of most growing areas; only the winegrowers of the Markgräflerland between Freiburg and the Swiss border held on to it.

Müller-Thurgau, on the other hand, enjoyed a triumphant success in the 20th century as a supplier of cheap, uncomplicated, drinkable wines from mass yields, which made it the most cultivated variety in Germany for a time, but at the same time cemented its reputation as an inferior grape variety. Today, Müller still occupies more than 10 percent of the vineyard area in the country. But in the meantime, more and more producers have recognised its potential - and not only in Franconia, where its reputation never quite slipped as far as elsewhere.

For a long time, Chasselas production in the Markgräflerland was firmly in the hands of cooperatives that had little interest in pressing a sophisticated wine from it, which did not exactly help its reputation. Soon, this noble old variety, whose quality and ripening ability was never in doubt in Switzerland, had the reputation in Germany of being a supplier of banal wine with no potential for development. Even the German Wine Institute spreads the fairy tale on its homepage that Gutedel cannot mature because of its low acidity. In practice, the lack of ripeness was mostly true, but it was less due to the lack of acidity than to the commitment of the producers.

Today, excellent wines are produced from Gutedel in the Markgräflerland region and from Müller-Thurgau, especially in Franconia and Baden, but occasionally also in other regions, but unfortunately largely to the exclusion of the public. And, of course, under the suspicious gaze of Riesling apologists who believe they have the right to interpret the quality of wines in general and grape varieties in particular, and who often have nothing but derision for wines without a conspicuous acid bite, which one can be glad of if it is only mild. Because Müller doesn't tend to be overly acidic either. As with Gutedel, its strengths clearly lie in the quiet tones. Müller-Thurgau, nowadays also called Rivaner, can be vinified to a certain aromatic loudness, but the better qualities are basically based on delicacy, subtle aromatics and elegance.

The aromatic inconspicuousness of the Gutedel is inherent. This makes it the uncomplicated everyday wine for which the variety is known to some extent today. Its strengths, however, come from first-class terroir, low yields and, last but not least, long ageing on the lees, which ideally also gives it the ability to develop that is so often denied to it. It's a very similar story with Müller-Thurgau. Its demands on the location are not high - you can get a drinkable wine from it anywhere - but it rewards greater attention and better locations all the more; it can also be used to produce serious, independent, surprisingly complex wines by means of a long lees ageing.

And the two varieties have one more thing in common: first-class dry wines are produced from them even with relatively low must weights and thus low alcohol. Remarkable Gutedel often manages with as little as 11 percent by volume, sometimes even less. Müller - with a few exceptions - is perhaps not quite as frugal, but here, too, things can get exciting from 11.5% at the latest. Especially the wines that have been aged on their lees for a long time can achieve a power, depth and complexity that is hard to believe when you look at the alcohol content, and yet they often remain light-footed and delicate. Both varieties are thus also excellently suited for ageing as natural or orange wines, for which mash fermentation, long skin contact, low sulphur and the renunciation of filtration are obligatory.

Both have committed advocates again today. Winegrowers who care about making first-class wines out of these often misunderstood varieties. They often appear just as reserved as their wines, they rely on profundity and quiet tones and are therefore often still not heard enough. It is high time to change that.

Wine lovers should also look for these wines again, if only with an eye on their wallets. Remarkable Gutedel and Müller-Thurgau are often available for well under 10 euros. First-class examples can be had for a little more. Anyone who misses out on this is really only to blame.

We have tasted almost 100 Müller-Thurgau and Gutedel in the past few weeks, and we present the best of them here. Links to all the results, detailed tasting notes and the producers can be found at the end of each of the best lists.

In Focus: Gutedel and Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau

Tiefenbrunner Schlosskellerei Turmhof — 2020 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC "Feldmarschall von Fenner" 91 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut Achim Ritter und Edler von Oetinger — 2020 Müller-Thurgau VDP.Gutswein trocken "Jott" Alte Reben 25.00 €

Weingut Ottenbreit — Franconia/Franken 2021 trocken "Long live Müller-Thurgau" 89 WP very good 13.50 €

Weingut Enderle & Moll — 2020 Müller-Thurgau "Buntsandstein" 89 WP very good 16.50 €

Weingut Stefan Vetter — Main 2021 Müller-Thurgau Landwein trocken Steinterrassen Up to 20.00 €

Von Dungern Weine — Main 2021 Müller-Thurgau Landwein 12.00 €

Kellerei Kurtatsch — 2021 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Müller-Thurgau "Graun" 88 WP very good 14.90 €

Weingut Enderle & Moll — Oberrhein 2021 Müller-Thurgau Landwein "Pur" 88 WP very good 16.50 €

Pojer & Sandri — Trentino 2019 Trentino DOC Müller-Thurgau "Monogramma"

Weingut Zehnthof - Luckert — Franconia/Franken 2021 Sulzfeld Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 88 WP very good 10.00 €

Weingut Horst Sauer — Franconia/Franken 2018 Escherndorf Fürstenberg Müller-Thurgau VDP.Erste Lage trocken 88 WP very good 10.00 €

Ökologischer Weinbau Kraemer — Taubertal 2018 Müller-Thurgau Landwein trocken "Muschelkalk, Steillage" 88 WP very good

Ökologischer Weinbau Kraemer — Taubertal 2018 Müller-Thurgau Landwein trocken "Silex, Steillage" 88 WP very good

Weingut Höfflin — Baden 2020 Müller-Thurgau Landwein trocken "Prestige" 88 WP very good 25.50 €

Weingut Horst Sauer — Franconia/Franken 2021 Escherndorf Fürstenberg Müller-Thurgau VDP.Erste Lage trocken 88 WP very good 12.00 €

Hoandlhof - Manfred Nössing — 2021 Eisacktal / Val d'Isarco DOC Müller-Thurgau "Sass Rigais" 12.50 €

Weingut Enderle & Moll — Oberrhein 2020 Müller-Thurgau Landwein "Pur" 87 WP very good 16.50 €

Weinkellerei Josef Weger — 2021 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Müller-Thurgau "Purg" 9.50 €

Öko-Weingut Zang — Franconia/Franken 2019 Müller-Thurgau "Gegenstrom" 14.00 €

Weingut Egon Schäffer — Franconia/Franken 2021 Escherndorf Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken Alte Reben 87 WP very good 8.90 €

Caves des Onze Communes — Aosta valley 2021 Valle d'Aoste DOC Müller-Thurgau

Winzerhof Stahl — Franconia/Franken 2021 Tauberzell Hasennestle Müller-Thurgau trocken "Hasennest" 87 WP very good 12.95 €

Weingut Hungermüller — Rheinhessen 2019 Dittelsheim Müller-Thurgau trocken 8.00 €

Weingut Garlider — 2020 Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Müller-Thurgau 87 WP very good 17.00 €

Weingut Rainer Sauer — Franconia/Franken 2021 Müller-Thurgau VDP.Gutswein trocken 86 WP very good 8.00 €

Weingut Krebs — Baden 2021 Müller-Thurgau trocken "HEIMAT" 86 WP very good 6.40 €

Weingut Enderle & Moll — Oberrhein 2021 Müller-Thurgau Landwein "Buntsandstein" 86 WP very good 16.50 €

Habitat Weine / WoW — 2021 Landwein trocken "Backspin MT" 86 WP very good 12.50 €

Josef J. Simon Wein — Baden 2021 trocken "Zwitscherli" 86 WP very good 7.00 €

Weingut Brügel — Franconia/Franken 2021 Greuth Müller-Thurgau trocken 86 WP very good 7.80 €

Weingut Josef Walter — Franconia/Franken 2021 Müller-Thurgau trocken 86 WP very good 6.00 €

Ökologischer Weinbau Kraemer — Taubertal 2019 Müller-Thurgau Landwein trocken "Muschelkalk, Steillage" 86 WP very good

Bürgerspital zum Hl. Geist - Weingut — Franconia/Franken 2021 Würzburg Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 86 WP very good 8.60 €

Von Dungern Weine — Main 2021 Müller-Thurgau Landwein "Mainstream" 9.90 €

Weingut Schlör — Baden 2021 Reicholzheim Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 7.50 €

Weingut Horst Sauer — Franconia/Franken 2021 Escherndorf Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 86 WP very good 10.00 €

Weingut Baldauf — Franconia/Franken 2021 Ramsthal Müller-Thurgau trocken 86 WP very good 9.00 €

Weingut Enderle & Moll — 2020 Müller-Thurgau "Müller" 85 WP very good 9.90 €

Weingut Juliusspital Würzburg — Franconia/Franken 2021 Würzburg Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 85 WP very good 10.00 €

Weingut Hemberger — Franconia/Franken 2021 Müller-Thurgau trocken 85 WP very good 7.00 €

Weingut Hans Wirsching KG — Franconia/Franken 2021 Iphofen Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 85 WP very good 8.20 €

Staatlicher Hofkeller — Franconia/Franken 2021 Hörstein Müller-Thurgau VDP.Ortswein trocken 85 WP very good 9.00 €

Weingut Engelhof — Baden 2021 Müller-Thurgau trocken 85 WP very good 6.90 €

Weingut Weishaar — Baden 2021 Müller-Thurgau trocken "Keep Life Simple" 85 WP very good 7.10 €

Weinbau Alexandra Mezzela — Franconia/Franken 2020 Bürgstadt Berg Müller-Thurgau trocken "Wolkengucker" 85 WP very good 6.50 €

Weingut Rothe — Franconia/Franken 2020 Müller-Thurgau trocken 85 WP very good 8.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Gutedel and Müller-Thurgau Gutedel

Weingut Ziereisen — Oberrhein 2019 Gutedel Landwein "Jaspis 10hoch4" Alte Reben 93 WP excellent 125.00 €

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2020 "Haus Gupi - El Fayoum" 90 WP excellent 22.00 €

Weingut Blankenhorn — Baden 2019 Schliengen Chasselas VDP.Ortswein trocken "Courage" 89 WP very good 28.00 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein trocken "Steinkreuz" 89 WP very good 18.00 €

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2020 "Haus Gupi - Brumaire" 88 WP very good 18.00 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2017 Gutedel Landwein "Steingrüble" 89 WP very good 15.60 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2019 Gutedel Landwein "Steinkrügle" 89 WP very good 16.30 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein "Steinkrügle" 89 WP very good 22.60 €

Scherer&Zimmer — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein trocken "MG" 88 WP very good 25.00 €

Weingut Krebs — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein "Johann Jakob" 88 WP very good 11.90 €

Weingut Wilhelm Zähringer — Baden 2021 Chasselas trocken "Vierlig" 88 WP very good 11.90 €

Weingut Blankenhorn — Baden 2020 Schliengen Chasselas VDP.Ortswein trocken "Le Clocher" 88 WP very good 20.50 €

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2020 "Haus Gupi - La Bohème" 88 WP very good 13.50 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2020 Landwein "Viviser" 88 WP very good 14.60 €

Scherer&Zimmer — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein trocken "KB" 87 WP very good 14.00 €

Weingut Rainer Schlumberger — Baden 2020 Chasselas trocken 11.50 €

Weingut Krebs — Baden 2021 Gutedel trocken "Flüdenwein - NUMME NÜT HUDDLE" 87 WP very good 6.60 €

Weingut Julius Zotz — Baden 2021 Heitersheim Maltesergarten Chasselas trocken 12.90 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2020 Chasselas Landwein trocken 87 WP very good 8.00 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2019 Landwein "Viviser" 87 WP very good 12.60 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2020 Landwein "Heugumber" 86 WP very good 9.80 €

Weingut Blankenhorn — Baden 2021 Gutedel VDP.Gutswein trocken 86 WP very good 9.50 €

Weingut Blankenhorn — Baden 2019 Schliengen Gutedel VDP.Ortswein trocken 86 WP very good 12.00 €

Scherer&Zimmer — Baden 2019 Gutedel Landwein trocken 86 WP very good 12.90 €

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein trocken "vom Kalkstein" 85 WP very good 11.50 €

Weingut Schlumberger-Bernhart — Baden 2021 Gutedel VDP.Gutswein trocken "vom Löss" 7.50 €

Scherer&Zimmer — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein trocken 86 WP very good 7.90 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2019 Landwein "Heugumber" 86 WP very good 7.50 €

Scherer&Zimmer — Baden 2021 Gutedel trocken 85 WP very good 8.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Gutedel and Müller-Thurgau The best wines up to 10 Euro