2019 Weingut Schmitt Müller-Thurgau

Region: Rheinhessen > Germany

Grapes: Müller-Thurgau

Winemaker: Bianka and Daniel Schmitt

Bianka and Daniel have been farming their 16 hectares biodynamically for almost 10 years, and are one of fewer than 100 German growers to receive a Demeter certification. Once known as a bulk winemaking region, Weingut Schmitt has been instrumental in transforming the Rheinhessen into an exciting new hub for fresh, high-quality, low-intervention wines.  Bianka and Daniel might be the most progressive of the lot, with their full adherence to biodynamic farming principles and hands off winemaking.  They believe, as we do, that the key to great wine is healthy grapes picked at optimal ripeness, not too much (sappy wines) or too little (overly lean and tart wines).  They also believe that balanced and minimal intervention wines are best achieved through extended skin contact, hence the long
maceration time. But they explain that extended skin contact "only works when the fruit is fully ripened and the berries are completely healthy for their gentle journey to the cellar. We love this part of the process, watching and waiting in the cellar as our wines start their journey. It is then our duty and honor to give them however much time on the lees they need to discover their own optimal development." This respect for mother nature and the natural process makes our hippie hearts so happy.

Almost as happy as this partial skin-contact white, which is rich and textured rather than linear and lean like most cool-climate Müller-Thurgau.  Sunny and vibrant, it tastes like grilled pineapple, grapefruit and orange blossoms, its intense acidity balanced by the rich fruit, reminding us of an exotic cocktail on a Mexican beach.  Which is exactly the sort of escape we're looking for in the glass these days -- happy hour, take us away!  Limited quantities.