Dottinger Castellberg Chardonnay GC 2022 Martin Waßmer

In der Nase offenbart sich eine klare, feine Aromatik von Physalis, Haselnuss und Brioche. Am Gaumen begeistert er mit saftiger Frucht, eleganten Röstaromen und einer perfekt ausbalancierten Säure, die von einem cremigen Schmelz begleitet wird. Ein Wein von beeindruckender Dichte und langem Nachhall.

Alcohol		13.0%
Vintage		2022
Volume		0.75l
Winery		Weingut Martin Waßmer
Rebsorte		Chardonnay
Vineyard		Castellberg
City		Ballrechten-Dottingen
Region		Baden
Country		Deutschland
Stored		27.02.2025

85.00 € / Bottle

113.33 € / Liter

6 bottles available

The vineyard Castellberg

Location and landscape

The Castellberg is a vineyard site at the edge of the Markgräfler Hills near Ballrechten-Dottingen in the foothill zone of the Black Forest, on the Upper Rhine Graben. The steep hill cone, exposed to the west to south-west, lies at the edge of the Sulzbach valley; below the wooded summit, the vineyard slopes extend.

Climate and soils

The site is characterised by high daytime temperatures and cool nights. The influences described include warm air from the Burgundian Gate and cooler night winds from the Black Forest. The Castellberg consists predominantly of tertiary coastal conglomerate with calcareous rubble. For the vineyards, kalk marl, limestone-weathered material and conglomerate are also mentioned.

Historic vineyard

The historic terraces, aligned to the south and south-east, were laid out systematically from 1784 with the support of the Margrave of Baden, Karl Friedrich. A cadastral map from 1792, with additions from the year 1801, documents the development. The Castellberg is connected to a medieval hilltop castle; in the 19th century the terraces were expanded upslope, and again in the 1930s towards the north-east. Dry stone walls, terraces and stone stairways shape the steep vineyard, in which more than 500 steps are documented. Damaged sections of wall were repaired in a public restoration project using the original material to a large extent.

Grape varieties and wine-making

At the Castellberg, among other grapes, Gutedel, Red Gutedel, Müller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder, Riesling, Spätburgunder and Gewürztraminer are grown, or they are developed as Castellberg wines. Dry wines are documented as well as sweet and noble-sweet bottlings. For Castellberg wines, careful pressing, natural must clarification, controlled or chilled fermentation, longer lees ageing and vegan production are described. With premium wines from sites such as the Dottinger Castellberg, hand harvesting, selective work in the vineyard, spontaneous fermentation and ageing in Burgundy wooden casks are also used; the selection yields are about 20 to 25 hl/ha.

About the winery

Site and vineyards

The winery Martin Waßmer is located in Bad Krozingen-Schlatt in the Markgräflerland region in Baden. The site in the south-west of Germany is close to the borders with France and Switzerland. The cultivated vineyards include, among others, the Schlatter Maltesergarten, the Staufen Schlossberg, the Ehrenstetter Ölberg and the Auggener Letten.

According to the winery, the Schlatter Maltesergarten receives an average of almost six hours of sunshine per day; at night, cool air flows in from the Black Forest. The soils there are characterised by limestone with a layer of loam and loess. The Ehrenstetter Ölberg likewise features limestone soils covered with loam and loess, while the Auggener Letten encompasses marl, limestone, conglomerate and Letten soils.

History and viticulture

Viticulture in Schlatt is documented for the first time in 1298. Since 1997, the winery has been producing its own wines. The vineyards include vines aged up to 40 years. Some plots are planted with between 10,000 and 12,000 vines per hectare; the winery’s average yield is 40 hl/ha.

Cultivation is described as close to nature and gentle. The grapes are hand-picked, selected and sorted in the vineyard before they reach the cellar.

Grape varieties and classification

The documented grape varieties include Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay, Gutedel, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Syrah and Frühburgunder. According to the winery, the style is influenced by Burgundy and at the same time is firmly rooted in the Markgräflerland region.

The wines are classified as Gutswein, Selection, Lagenwein and GC from selected top sites. For Gutswein, the maximum yield is 55 hl/ha, for Selection and Lagenwein 35 to 40 hl/ha, and for GC special selections 20 to 25 hl/ha.

Cellar and maturation

For SW and GC wines, the winery uses spontaneous fermentation and matures in barriques or barrels made in the style of Burgundy. Selected red wines ferment spontaneously in open wooden vats, macerate slowly and mature for up to 18 months in barriques. The press and cellar building opened in 2016 has stainless-steel tanks for young Gutsweine.