“Die Welt trifft sich bei Weegmuellers” – The World Meets at Weegmueller”. This is the motto of Weingut Weegmueller, a charming winery in the Pfalz, Germany, headed by a female winemaker, Stephanie Weegmueller, with the help of her sister, Gabriele Weegmueller.
The 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours also included a stop in the Pfalz … and this was where the world meets: Weingut Weegmueller. We had a very enjoyable morning tasting in the courtyard of Weingut Weegmueller with the two Weegmueller girls, Stephanie and Gabriele.
See:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
Weingut Weegmueller
The Weegmueller family can look back to more than 300 years of winemaking in the Pfalz. The origins of the Weegmueller family, an old dynasty of council members of the free town of Zuerich, lies in Switzerland. In 1657, the Weegmuellers came to the village of Haardt, today a part of the city of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, and started to make wine in 1685.
Weingut Weegmüller is the oldest winery in the Pfalz – some claim to fame in this region thick with the ancient three Bs: Bassermann Jordan, von Buhl and Bürklin-Wolf.
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 Wines of Weingut Weegmueller
The dominating grape variety is Riesling. 15 hectares of best vineyards around Haardt. i.e. 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 Dormfelder.
We went through a series of Weegmueller wines, including the following three, which are available in the US through Moore Brothers.
Moore Brothers currently offers 3 Weegmueller wines:
2011 Weingut Weegmueller Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Alte Reben
“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.” Greg Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Company, June 26, 2013, $38.00
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, $25.00
2012 Weingut Weegmuller Scheurebe Trocken
“Her Scheurebe Trocken is aromatically intense (redolent of apricots and lemongrass) with a fine, vibrant core of acid.” Greg Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Company, June 26, 2013, $25.00
Moore Brothers, USA
“In 1996, Greg Moore, the Sommelier / General Manager of Le Bec-Fin, and his brother David, a wine retailer, opened Moore Brothers Wine Company, offering a collection of personally selected wine in a small store in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Now there are three stores, serving New Jersey, Delaware, and New York, presenting small-farm, naturally-produced, artisan wines primarily from the “Old World.” The wines are selected via a direct, personal relationship with many of the finest producers in their respective regions, shipped in temperature-controlled containers, and presented in a friendly, comfortable retail environment which serves over sixty-thousand enthusiastic customers.”
Gault Millau
Finally, here is what Germany’s leading wine guide, the Gault Millau Deutschland, has to say about Weingut Weegmueller (in German): “Ein Besuch auf dem Weingut Weegmüller ist stets ein unterhaltsames Erlebnis. Stefanie Weegmüller-Scherr ist Betriebsleiterin und Kellermeisterin (und das seit weit mehr als 20 Jahren), ihre Schwester Gabriele die Organisatorin im Hintergrund - und gemeinsam bringen sie ein Weingefühl rüber, das bauchgeboren und sehr emotional ist. Der Weinstil der Weegmüllers hat sich in den vergangenen fünf Jahren beständig nach vorne entwickelt, ist spielerisch, luftig und außerordentlich präzise geworden. Im vergangenen Jahr lobten wir die 2009er und 2010er über den grünen Klee. Mit 2011 ist der Klee noch dichter geworden, fast jeder Wein hat sich nochmals gesteigert, wie der hervorragende Grauburgunder Alte Reben oder die drei trockenen Kabinett-Rieslinge exemplarisch beweisen. Für Furore sorgte Steffi Weegmüller in diesem Jahr, als ihr Grüner Veltliner bei einer internationalen Vergleichsverkostung dieser Rebsorte fulminant den ersten Platz abräumte. Übrigens: Weegmüllers verzichten bewusst auf Rotweine.”
Bye-bye
Thank you Stefanie and Gabriele Weegmüller for a wonderful tasting.
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