I first became familiar with this grape as the Swiss version of Chasselas about ten or eleven years ago. through the wines that Dreyfus-Ashby brought in to the US and then I got to explore it further on a couple of visits to Switzerland (where it can be known as Fendant in the Vallais and Vaud.) It supposedly can trace its roots to ancient Egypt and I can imagine that the dry climate and extremely oxidative winemaking (along with flavor additions) would have made for a much different wine than the one that is made today. It has the distinction of being a delicious table grape and I would very much like to have some growing in my yard for that purpose.
This grape is a specialty of the Markgräflerland in southern Baden, but it is grown in many regions though the plantings are in decline. In Markgräflerland there is an International Gutedel festival where growers from Germany, Alsace, and Switzerland enter wines for competition and in June there is also International Gutedel Day. Serious stuff for such a subtle wine.
2010 Weingut Andres Gutedel Trocken –Pfalz, Germany 11,0% alc.
Pear and peach, nugat, almonds, a little more intensive than normal and with just a hair more acidity. As it takes on air and your palate adjusts, this subtle wine slowly picks up volume and is really quite delicious. Gulpable stuff.
2010 Weingut Rieger Markgräflerland Gutedel Trocken –Baden, Germany 10,5% alc
Pefrectly delicate, fresh, and spritzig. Spearmint, bay leaf, almost Grüner Veltliner split pea and the fruit of some ancient apple. Spicy, zesty acidity.
Cheers,
Bill