A flamboyant Trollinger?!

Weingut Aldinger: Trollinger Untertürkheimer Gips Rosé Erstes Gewächs 2022

At the 50th VDP Weinbörse in Mainz, I had the opportunity to taste what is probably the most expensive Trollinger and rosé from Germany at just under €100.
It comes from the single vineyard Untertürkheimer Gips, which is classified as a VDP Grosse Lage. However, as the Trollinger grape variety (and rosé wines) is not authorised as a GG by the VDP, the wine cannot be classified as a Grosses Gewächs. The site was previously used for gypsum mining before it was leased long-term by the Aldinger winery from the Gips-Schüle Foundation in 1974. The Untertürkheimer Gips is solely owned by the estate and is therefore a monopole vineyard.

Legend says that the wine was the result of an employee’s mistake. Originally, a barrique barrel was to be produced as Trollinger Blanc de Noir for a customer of the winery. When filling the barrel, the employee read the name “Trollinger” on the barrel and filled it with what he had read: a red Trollinger. As it was no longer a Blanc de Noir, but a rosé, albeit a lighter colour, the customer cancelled his purchase. However, the Aldingers recognised the wine’s potential and released the bottles for sale as Untertürkheimer Gips Trollinger Rosé.

The colour is a pale light pink, the intensity of the bouquet is very pronounced and elegant, with a scent of red fruits preserved in salt, citrus fruits and a smoky flint note. You don’t want to stop smelling the glass. On the palate, the wine is very lean and light-footed, with an intense and persistent acidity that gradually reveals the different layers of the wine: salt, phenols, fruit and smoky notes. Everything appears closely interwoven, floating and very elegant. The wine develops enormous pressure in the mouth and lingers for a long time.