Summary
Weingut Matthias Gaul in Grünstadt-Asselheim is one of those estates that have fundamentally changed the image of the northern Pfalz over the past few decades. On around 35 hectares of stony limestone, it makes wines whose reputation rests above all on one variety: Spätburgunder, or Pinot Noir. Two wins at the German Red Wine Award and the 'King of Pinot' title awarded by Vinum magazine have made Matthias Gaul known well beyond his region. Just as important, though, is the estate's white side – full-bodied Grauburgunder, Chardonnay and Rieslings that live off the coolness and the limestone character of this northern stretch of the Pfalz.
History
The Gaul family has been growing wine in Asselheim for generations. The decisive step towards an independent estate came in the 1950s, when Matthias Gaul's grandfather began bottling the wine himself instead of selling it in bulk. His father Werner developed the business further and looked after sales in particular.
Matthias Gaul, born in 1967, studied at Geisenheim until the mid-1990s and took over responsibility for the estate in 1995, as the fourth generation. He steered the business consistently towards quality, cut yields, invested in the cellar and, alongside the classic Pfalz varieties, planted Chardonnay (from 1990), Cabernet Sauvignon (1996), Cabernet Franc (1998) and Tempranillo (2005). Above all, though, he backed the Pinot family, which finds ideal conditions on Asselheim's limestone. Success proved him right: in 2015 and 2017 the estate won the German Red Wine Award, after which Vinum magazine gave him the title 'King of Pinot'.
Location & Terroir
Asselheim is today a district of Grünstadt and lies where the German Wine Route runs out to the north. This position is the key to the estate's style: the northern Pfalz is noticeably cooler and more exposed to the wind than the famous Mittelhaardt around Deidesheim and Forst. What used to count as a disadvantage has become an asset in a warming climate – the grapes ripen more slowly and keep their acidity.
The second factor is the soil. Around Asselheim lie calcareous, intensely stony soils formed from Tertiary limestone sediments. Matthias Gaul describes himself, tongue in cheek, as 'stone-rich': the limestone rocks in his vineyards are so plentiful that the soils stay lean and the vines naturally carry little fruit, but concentrated fruit. The plots lie at altitudes of roughly 180 to 300 metres. It is precisely this combination – limestone, altitude, coolness – that Pinot varieties love.
Style & Philosophy
The thread running through the range is precision rather than power. The stated aim is for the wines to give lasting pleasure and stay in the memory – not to impress through alcohol or oak. In the vineyard that means a great deal of hand work, strict selection and low yields; in the cellar, a very large barrel park of around 550 barriques alongside some 120 stainless steel tanks.
The reds, above all the Spätburgunder, are aged in barrique, with the oak kept in check: in the glass, red fruit, fine spice and a taut, limestone-driven finish dominate rather than vanilla and toast. The white Pinots and the Chardonnay are aged in steel or wood depending on the quality tier. The Riesling is often gently whole-bunch pressed and fermented under temperature control in stainless steel – the result is wines with apple, citrus and apricot notes and a clear, saline edge. Production splits roughly evenly between white and red, which is unusual for a German estate.
Notable Sites & Wines
The vineyards lie essentially around Asselheim. The village's best-known single site, and at the same time the estate's flagship, is the Asselheimer St. Stephan – the name appears on the house's top wines, for Spätburgunder as well as for Riesling and Grauburgunder in the Réserve range.
- Pinot Noir 'St. Stephan' – the wine that earned the estate its reputation as a Pinot address
- Pinot Noir Asselheim and the estate wines as an accessible way into the red wine style
- Riesling 'St. Stephan' Réserve – the wood-aged pinnacle of the Rieslings
- Grauburgunder across several quality tiers, from estate wine up to Réserve
- Blends and sparkling wines such as Entrelacé, Grand Jeté and Pas de Deux round out the range
Awards
The estate's most visible successes lie in red wine: in 2015 and 2017 Matthias Gaul came top at the German Red Wine Award, and the wine magazine Vinum crowned him 'King of Pinot' in the wake of that. In the established German wine guides such as Gault&Millau and Eichelmann, too, the estate has for years been placed in the upper reaches of Pfalz producers. Matthias Gaul is not a VDP member – the recognition comes through the wines themselves and through the lists of the many restaurants at home and abroad that carry them.