“Die Welt trifft sich bei Weegmüllers” – “The World Meets at the Weegmüllers”. This is the slogan of Weingut Weegmüller in the Pfalz, Germany, headed by a female winemaker, Stephanie Weegmüller, with the help of her sister, Gabriele Weegmüller. The Weegmüller girls sell most of their wine in the region and in Germany, but have quite an impressive presence in New York City, where they are represented by the Moore Brothers.
Like the year before, we sat down in the courtyard of Weingut Weegmüller and had a lovely tasting with Stephanie and Gabriele Weegmüller.
Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2014
The Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2014, an annual contest that aims at identifying the best dry Riesling of the vintage, went to Weingut Weegmüller for: 2013 Weingut Weegmüller, Der Mineralische, Riesling Kabinett trocken. Already 15 years ago, Weingut Weegmüller won the Feinschmecker Riesling Cup (for its 1998 Weingut Weegmüller, Haardter Herrenletten, Riesling Spätlese trocken.
See: Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2014
Weingut Weegmüller
The Weegmüller family can look back to more than 300 years of winemaking in the Pfalz. The origins of the Weegmüller family, an old dynasty of council members of the free town of Zuerich, lies in Switzerland. In 1657, the Weegmüllers came to the village of Haardt, today a part of the city of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, and started to make wine in 1685.
One of the first women in the field, Stefanie Weegmueller, is at the helm of the estate. She was among the first women in Germany to set foot in the male-dominated winemaking industry. Today, Stefanie Weegmüller is one of Germany’s leading winemakers, representing the 12th generation of her family’s ownership of the estate. She consistently produces classic wines that are eloquent in their expression of the unique terroir of the Mittelhaardt.
Until a few years ago, Stefanie's ex-husband Richard Scherr was in charge of the vineyard. Today, Rainer Klein und Fabian Krämer are responsible for the vineyard work. They practice what they call ecological viticulture and yields are kept low.
The dominating grape variety is Riesling. 15 hectares of best vineyards around Haardt - Haardter Herrenletten, Haardter Gimmeldingen and Haardter Mussbach - belong to the estate. Though dominated by Riesling, Weingut Weegmueller also makes Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Scheurebe and Gewuerztraminer. The wine portfolio is complemented by Pinot Noir, Merlot and Dornfelder.
Tasting
We went through 13 Weegmüller wines.
2012 Weegmüller Rose
2013 Weegmüller Weisser Burgunder
2013 Weegmüller Blanc de Noir - Tiny bit of Merlot, mostly Pinot Noir
2013 Weegmüller Scheurebe – lots of grapefruit notes, pear, other yellow fruits
2013 Weegmüller Cuvee 3 Schwestern - 1/3 Scheurebe, 1/3 Pinot Gris, 1/3 Pinot Blanc
2013 Weegmüller Cuvee Fleur – 20% Gewürztraminer, 5% Silvaner, 75% Riesling
2013 Weegmüller Cuvee Grüner Veltliner
2013 Weegmüller Der Mineralische - Limestone
2012 Weegmüller Bürgergarten Gewürztraminer
2012 Weegmüller Herrenletten Grauer Burgunder
2012 Weegmüller Herrenletten Riesling
2012 Weegmüller Märchenzauber Scheurebe Spätlese – 7.5% alc., 80gr. rs
2013 Weegmüller Von den 14 Zeilen Auslese
Weingut Weegmüller in the USA: Moore Brothers
Weingut Weegmüller wines are available in the USA through Moore Brothers on the US East Coast: Founded in 1685, Weingut Weegmüller is the oldest winegrowing estate in the Pfalz, older even than the big “three Bs” (von Bassermann-Jordan, von Buhl, and Bürklin-Wolf). Gaby and Stefanie Weegmüller represent the eleventh generation of winegrowing Weegmüllers in Neustadt. There are sixteen hectares of vines, with parcels in all of the best vineyards in the villages of Haardt, Gimmelding, Neustadt, and Mußbach. When Steffi took over winemaking responsibility from her father in 1984, she had an enviable advantage: a close, familial friendship with Hans-Günther Schwarz, the long-time general manager of Weingut Müller-Catoir, and the godfather of an entire generation of the best young German winegrowers. It helped that Müller-Catoir is directly next door to Weegmüller, so it was easy for Hans-Günther to walk across the courtyard to taste and offer advice, and sometimes to lend a hand.
See:
Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA
Moore Brothers currently offers 3 Weegmüller wines:
Haardter Herrenletten Alte Reben Riesling Spatlese Trocken Weingut Weegmüller 2012
While the Herrenletten - a first class vineyard just a half kilometer north of Neustadt, comprises a mere thirtieth of Stefanie's production, its excellent southern exposure and its soil (sand and clay over deep slate) has produced some of her most memorable wines. This Spätlese trocken from the Alte Reben (vines 30 and 40 years old) is no exception. Rich and textured, it displays the complex aromatics of classic Pfalz wine: dried apricot, nut, smoke and spice.
2012 Weingut Weegmuller Riesling Vom Gelben Fels
“Vom Gelben Fels, a special selection of dry, spätlese grapes from Mandelring, Herrenletten, and Herzog -- the three greatest vineyards in all of the Haardt -- may be Steffi's most exclusive dry Riesling. This wine "from the yellow rocks" is marked by fresh, forward, peach and citrus aromas and a bright, vibrant finish.” Greg Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Company, June 26, 2013.
2012 Weingut Weegmuller Pfalz Scheurebe Trocken
Her Scheurebe Trocken is aromatically intense (redolent of apricots and lemongrass) with a fine, vibrant core of acid.
Bye-bye
Thank you Stefanie and Gabriele Weegmüller for a wonderful tasting.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Coming-up: Wine & Art Tour to Saale-Unstrut - Saxony - Franken - Württemberg: Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (June 11 - June 20, 2015)
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
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schiller-wine: Weingut Weegmüller
The World Meets at Weingut Weegmueller, Pfalz, Germany
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2014
Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA