Organic. Mandelgarten is a tear-shaped site on the northern border of the tiny Gimmeldingen village, next-door to Haardt. Widely regarded as the best vineyard of the southern Mittelhaardt, Mandelgarten sits on a red sandstone deposit with a deep water vein underneath, providing mineral nourishment to the vines. Müller-Catoir farms 1.5 hectares of this terroir, although much of it is planted to the Scheurebe variety. The vineyard is named after the almond trees that blossomed here in the Middle Ages.
Raised in stainless steel, the 2021 finished at 10% and from the first sip, it’s impossible not to be immediately drawn into this wine’s weave of florals, juicy ripe citrus and savoury salinity before a sprint down a scintillating path of minerality, elegant precision and length. It’s a more open, crunchy and filigreed style of Spätlese than this vineyard has offered up in recent years. Enjoy it while you can!