2018 Gündelbach Wachtkopf Merlot dry "S", Württemberg, Germany
The production area is located in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The vineyards cover 11,461 hectares of vines, which extend between Lake Constance and the Tauber valley below Rothenburg (Taubergrund). The geographical and climatic conditions are characterised by many river valleys. On its very winding course, the tributaries Rems, Enz, Kocher and Jagst flow towards the Neckar. On the river banks there are many southern slopes with widely spread vineyards. In summer there is enough sunshine to give strength and colour to red wines as well. Two thirds of the vineyards are steep or sloping. Heilbronn is the wine...
Germany, or rather the area that belongs to it today, has a wine culture that is over two thousand years old. But imported wine was already being drunk before that, as evidenced by a Greek wine bottle made of clay dating from around 400 BC found in a Celtic tomb. The oldest vineyards were located on the banks of the Rhine, Neckar and Moselle. These rivers with their elongated valleys, as well as their tributaries, are still the classic growing areas today. Viticulture was established by the colonization of the Greeks in Gaul and then brought to perfection by the Roman culture. The conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) brought Roman viticulture from...
The red grape variety comes from France. The name is probably derived from the French word for blackbird (merle), because these birds like to nibble on the very sweet berries when fully ripe. However, the name can also be an allusion to the black-blue colouring of the berries similar to that of the bird. There are more than 60 synonyms, which testify the worldwide distribution. The most important are Alicante Noir, Begney, Bigney, Bigney Rouge, Bini, Black Alicante, Blue Merlot, Bordò, Cabernet del Cleto, Crabutet, Crabutet Noir, Crabutet Noir Merlau, Hebigney, Higney, Médoc Noir, Merlau, Merlot Black, Merlot Blue, Merlot Crni,...
