Claus Schneider 2021 Haus Gupi "El Fayoum" Gutedel
There is compelling evidence that Gutedel, or Chasselas, originates in Egypt, where it has been cultivated for millennia, including around the historic El Fayoum oasis, just west of the Nile near Cairo. Most unusually fermented for eight days by carbonic maceration, then gently pressed in an old wooden basket press, before resting for 12 months on its lees, this improbably baroque wine sports just 9% alcohol but has personality to spare. A deeper-hued, huskier version of Gutedel than La Bohème, with bitter cordial and herbal tea-like notes framed by suave tannins.

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Wine Specifics
WineWise Code | GCS-EFG21 |
Country | Germany |
Region | Baden - Markgräflerland |
Color/Style | White |
Destemming | Whole cluster |
Fermentation Vessel | Stainless steel |
Additional Fermentation Notes | Maceration carbonqiue for around 8 days, nothing done during this time. After fermentation it's gentle pressed on an old wooden basket press. |
Aging Vessel | 100% Stainless Steel |
Aging Duration (months) | 12 months |
Filtered? | No |
Fining Agents | None |
Yeast Protocol | Pied de Cuve |
Malolactic Conversion | Yes |
Added Sulfur | Yes, 20 mg/L |
Varieties | 100% Gutedel (Chasselas) |
Residual Sugar | 0.6 |
ABV | 9 |
Acidity | 4.3 |
pH | 3.75 |
Closure | Natural cork |
Annual Production | 560 bottles |
Certified Vegan | No |
Other Wine Facts | First produced in 2019 with the idea to get a new interpretation of Chasselas. Since the variety is blended for over 200 years in our area but not recognized very well and with a bad reputation, Johannes and I wanted to go new ways and defining a new stylistic. Still having a light wine but due to some skin contact a nice complexity as well. |
Soil Types | Calcareous, Loam |
Elevation (meters) | 270 |
Vine Age | 20 |
Yields (hl/ha) | 70 |
Harvest Method | Hand-harvested |
Other Vineyard Details | The vineyard for this wine is on our southwest facing Weil am Rhein site. |
Notes from the Producer: El Fayoum is a fantasy name and more related to the variety than the vineyard. There is an old story that Chasselas/Gutedel is one of the oldest varieties in the world and the origin might be in Egypt in oasis al-Fayyūm. Since the fermentation with whole bunch it's a very old school approach we decided for the name El Fayoum.
Of course there are many stories, but following you can find an abstract from German Wikipedia translated with deepl.
In the literature, Egypt is often cited as the country of origin of Chasselas, where it has been cultivated for around 5000 years. Several forms of 'Chasselas' can still be found today in the Fayyum oasis, around 70 kilometers southwest of Cairo. Several varieties of chasselas, which resemble the chasselas leaf on the wall paintings in the royal tombs near Luxor in Upper Egypt, still thrive there to this day. The Fayoumi variety in the large vineyard at Gianaclis, for example, bears a striking resemblance to the European chasselas.[3] The hypothesis of an origin in Egypt was put forward by the French ampelographer Adrien Berget, who believed he had recognized the grape variety there in 1932.[4][5] This thesis was later defended by Henry Wuilloud (1947). It was only later that the claim was made that the variety had been known in Fayyum for 5000 years. The Romans are said to have brought the grape variety to Europe. Another interpretation places the origin of the grape variety within the Palestine region in the Jordan Valley.