Gantenbein Winery
On the edge of the wine village Fläsch in the Graubünden Rhine Valley stands a striking ensemble in the vineyards: the Gantenbein Winery. Martha and Daniel Gantenbein have been making wine here since 1982. They knew that the vine was the decisive factor. So they planted Burgundy clones in their vineyards. They learned: The grape must not lose anything on its way from the vine to the bottle. So they set up the winery accordingly: Grapes and juice flow by gravity, neither pumping nor filtering. Five hectares - and thus the majority - belong to Pinot Noir. One hectare belongs to Chardonnay. And finally, Riesling is grown on twenty hectares. "Gantenbein" is available exclusively through a small network of wine shops - worldwide.
The secret of the Gantenbeins
Martha and Daniel Gantenbein are already legendary, their wines (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) are incredibly hard to come by, unfortunately they are always sold out in the subscription. Cult wines!
The secret of the Gantenbeins, as with all world-class winemakers, lies in the vineyard. Martha and Daniel go through the vineyard (only 6 hectares of Pinot Noir on slate and limestone soils and 1 hectare of Chardonnay) with an almost unbelievable meticulousness to remove rotten and unripe grapes. Even the unripe shoots are removed with the patience of an angel every day, so that no such grape gets into the harvest due to the carelessness of a harvester. The tiny yields of approx. 25 hl/ha are processed by whole cluster pressing and, after fermentation in open wooden vats, are all aged in new Burgundy barriques. The wines are later bottled unfiltered and unfined.
The result of the meticulous work: the yield is so tiny, you have to fight for every bottle! But it's worth it, because many Grand Crus from Burgundy are put to shame after 10 years in a blind tasting. Great, great stuff! The sensational, ultra-rare Chardonnay unfortunately never gets past the subscription stage. The marc brandy, aged for 10 years in barriques before being sold, is one of the best in the world, along with Berta's grappas.
Currently available wines in our shop
Impression of the Gantenbein vineyard in winter
Well-known Gantenbein wines presented
"Fine and powerful, refined and concentrated, filigree and complex. Harmony and contrast. Is this our Pinot noir? Mais oui!"
"We love the minerality of great Chablis, the fruity, melting power of white Burgundy and our Chardonnay, which combines both."
"Our Riesling tells of friends on the Mosel; of crisp acidity, fruity clarity and fine melting. If you'll pardon the expression, it's German.
Some impressions from the winery
