Weingut Gunderloch

Carl Gunderloch, a Mainz private banker who fell in love with the Roter Hang on weekend visits from the city, acquired vineyards in Nackenheim in 1890 and founded the estate that still bears his name. His daughter Elisabeth married Friedrich Hasselbach in 1923, beginning the Hasselbach family stewardship that continues today. Fritz Hasselbach (fifth generation) took over in 1965 and built Gunderloch into one of the most internationally recognized German estates of the late 20th century, leading the modern revival of the Roter Hang and producing a string of historic Trockenbeerenauslesen. Fritz's son Johannes assumed winemaking direction in 2015 to 2016 following his father's death and has continued the estate's emphasis on traditional cellar practice and steep-slope viticulture.

• Founded 1890 by Carl Gunderloch, a Mainz private banker
• Hasselbach family stewardship since 1923 via Elisabeth Gunderloch's marriage to Friedrich Hasselbach
• Fritz Hasselbach (fifth generation) led the estate from 1965 to 2015, building international reputation
• Johannes Hasselbach (sixth generation) took over in 2015 to 2016 after his father's death

The Roter Hang, or Red Slope, is a 5-kilometer strip of iron-oxide-rich Rotliegend clay slate that runs between Nackenheim and Nierstein on the Rhine's left bank, formed approximately 280 million years ago when the Mainz Basin collapsed. The slope is one of Germany's defining viticultural landscapes and is composed of seven VDP Grosse Lage Einzellagen. Gunderloch is the dominant proprietor of the Nackenheimer Rothenberg, the northernmost Grosse Lage on the slope, and also farms significant parcels in Niersteiner Pettenthal, Niersteiner Hipping, Niersteiner Oelberg, and Niersteiner Brudersberg. The estate's roughly 31 hectares are concentrated on these steep red-slate slopes, with smaller holdings on inland limestone soils.

• Approximately 31 hectares concentrated on the 5-km Roter Hang strip between Nackenheim and Nierstein
• Dominant proprietor of Nackenheimer Rothenberg (VDP Grosse Lage), the slope's northernmost site
• Significant Grosse Lage holdings in Niersteiner Pettenthal, Hipping, Oelberg, and Brudersberg
• Soils are iron-oxide-rich Rotliegend clay slate (~280 million years old) on steep south-facing terraces

Cellar work at Gunderloch emphasizes traditional spontaneous fermentation, long aging on the gross lees, and minimal manipulation. Dry Rieslings and Grosses Gewächs ferment in large old oak Stückfass (typically 1,200 to 2,400 liters), with extended lees contact before bottling. Noble sweet wines undergo long, slow fermentation that may continue for many months. The house style favors precision and salinity over richness, with the iron-rich Rotliegend slate producing Rieslings that are notably spicy, savory, and mineral compared to limestone-driven Rheinhessen peers. Yields in the top sites are kept low.

• Spontaneous fermentation in large old oak Stückfass (1,200 to 2,400 liters) for dry Riesling and GG
• Extended lees aging before bottling; long slow fermentation for noble sweet wines
• House style favors precision and salinity over richness; the iron-rich Rotliegend slate yields spicy, savory Rieslings
• Low yields in Grosse Lage parcels; multi-pass hand harvest for both dry and noble sweet selections

Gunderloch is one of Germany's most celebrated producers of Trockenbeerenauslese, the highest Prädikat level under German wine law and one of the world's rarest and longest-lived dessert wines. The Nackenheimer Rothenberg TBA, made in suitable vintages from individually selected botrytized berries, has set multiple Roter Hang auction records and is collected internationally. Beerenauslese, Auslese Goldkapsel, and rare Eisweine round out the noble sweet range. The estate's commitment to noble sweet Riesling in an era when many German producers have shifted entirely to dry styles is one of its defining cultural contributions to German wine.

• Nackenheimer Rothenberg TBA is one of Germany's most celebrated noble sweet wines; multiple Roter Hang auction records
• Full noble sweet ladder: Auslese Goldkapsel, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein in suitable vintages
• Made from individually selected botrytized berries; long slow fermentation
• Estate's commitment to noble sweet Riesling is a defining cultural contribution in an era dominated by dry styles

The dry Riesling lineup runs from the popular Fritz's Riesling (a tribute to the late Fritz Hasselbach) through Gunderloch Riesling Trocken, Ortswein Nackenheim and Nierstein, Erste Lage parcels, and Grosses Gewächs from Rothenberg, Pettenthal, and Hipping. The Jean-Baptiste Riesling Kabinett, an off-dry classic named after Carl Gunderloch's character in Carl Zuckmayer's 1925 play, has been one of the German wine market's most consistent staples for decades. Beyond Riesling, Gunderloch produces small amounts of Spätburgunder and Silvaner from inland Wonnegau parcels. Johannes Hasselbach has emphasized continuity with Fritz's traditional approach while introducing more spontaneous fermentation and reduced sulfur additions across the range.

• Dry hierarchy from Fritz's Riesling through Ortswein to Grosses Gewächs (Rothenberg, Pettenthal, Hipping)
• Jean-Baptiste Riesling Kabinett: an off-dry classic, named after Carl Gunderloch's character in Zuckmayer's 1925 play
• Small Spätburgunder and Silvaner production from inland Wonnegau parcels
• Johannes Hasselbach has continued Fritz's traditional approach while increasing spontaneous fermentation and reducing sulfur additions