News

The historic Martel AG St. Gallen is taking over the import and distribution of our wines in Switzerland with immediate effect. As one of the most prestigious addresses for fine wine culture, this respected Swiss merchant house will carry a representative selection of our portfolio.

The initial allocation features our characterful Rieslings as well as the traditional varietal specialties crafted in our Haardt cellars.

The Portfolio Available at Martel:
The Riesling Collection: Led by the Haardt Riesling, the single-vineyard bottling from the Bürgergarten, and the Grosses Gewächs "Im Breumel" (GG).

The Varietal Specialties: Represented by the Haardt Muskateller and the Haardt Scheurebe.

The Prädikat Wines: A selection of our noble sweet Rieslaner Auslese from the Herzog vineyard.

This partnership combines our estate's artisanal, low-intervention approach with Martel AG's deep expertise and strong market presence, granting Swiss customers immediate access to the latest vintages of our collection.

Two estate wines from our latest collection will be served on Lufthansa First Class long-haul flights throughout 2027. Both qualities from VDP.ERSTE LAGE® vineyards received the allocation during a blind selection process (First Class Tender).

Following the previous listing of our Herrenletten Weissburgunder, the airline once again features wines from our Haardt cellars.

The Wines and 2027 Boarding Schedule:

From February 2027: 2025 Mandelring Scheurebe | VDP.ERSTE LAGE® dry

The Haardter Mandelring vineyard yields a Scheurebe characterized by a distinct bouquet of ripe blackcurrant, grapefruit, and exotic fruit notes. This dry-style wine combines an intense aromatic profile with a crisp, mineral structure.

From June 2027: 2025 Bürgergarten Muskateller | VDP.ERSTE LAGE® dry

A classic from the Bürgergarten, displaying the variety’s signature refined profile: intense notes of nutmeg blossom, fresh citrus fruits, and mint, underpinned by an animating spice. On the palate, the wine presents a clean, vibrant acidity.

We regard this selection in a blind tasting as a welcome validation of our consistent work in the vineyards and the careful, patient vinification of each individual grape variety.

Even before completing his final tasting report, renowned American wine critic Terry Theise has expressed exceptional enthusiasm for Müller-Catoir’s latest releases.

The estate’s Pinot Noirs made a particularly strong impression on him. “Your status as a Spätburgunder producer must be considered elite,” Theise writes. These wines are far more than “something interesting you are doing.” In his view, they are simply “world-class.”

Theise is equally enthusiastic about the 2024 Pinot Blancs (Weissburgunder). Not only are they, in his opinion, the finest Pinot Blancs he has ever tasted from Müller-Catoir, they rank “among the very best expressions of this grape I have ever tasted.”

Theise expects to complete his full report in the coming days. As is his practice, he tastes each wine multiple times over several days before reaching his conclusions. The results are due to be published soon in The World of Fine Wine. He is convinced that what the estate is achieving with its Pinot Noirs and this remarkable group of Pinot Blancs deserves wider attention.

And what about the Rieslings? Theise offers characteristic understatement: “The Rieslings are fine, don’t worry! But one expects them to be.”

For Müller-Catoir, these early impressions provide meaningful confirmation of its chosen path: the continued refinement of its Burgundian varieties, without losing sight of origin and stylistic precision.

Pfalz meets California – and the atmosphere matched the wines. ✨

Yesterday’s Sommelier Summit Spring at Weingut Müller-Catoir brought together international sommeliers, top winemakers from California, and a line-up that was simply a lot of fun.

Chardonnay & Pinot Noir side by side, alongside mature Rieslings from the Pfalz and VDP sparkling wines – precise, engaging, and discussed in a very relaxed way.

A great evening in Haardt. Thanks to everyone who joined.

A Major Success in Norway! Our winery is delighted to receive outstanding international recognition: The "2023 Mussbach Spätburgunder" was awarded 90 points in the renowned Norwegian business and financial newspaper Dagens Næringsliv and named the "Best Red Wine Buy of the Summer".

During the extensive May tasting, a total of 1,200 wines were evaluated, of which only 25 were selected and featured. Our Spätburgunder distinguished itself impressively among the entries and ranks as one of the editors' absolute top recommendations.

The review states:

"The 2023 vintage of the Mussbach Spätburgunder from the Palatinate producer Müller-Catoir offers a true bargain among red wines. A classic and delicate Spätburgunder that delivers outstanding value for money. This is likely the best red wine buy of the summer."

Merete Bø, Espen Nersveen

This accolade once again underscores the international appeal of our wines and validates our commitment to quality, provenance, and stylistic excellence. We are deeply honored by this special recognition and extend our thanks to everyone who helped make this success possible.

Hans-Günter Schwarz, a winemaker from Neustadt, was far ahead of his time and readily shared his knowledge with colleagues. Memories of an unpretentious expert.

He shaped the German white wine style of an entire era and, as a patient and empathetic mentor, molded the working methods of a generation of highly respected winemakers: the Palatinate winemaker Hans-Günter Schwarz. The Neustadt native passed away on Friday at the age of 84.

Wine experts fondly recall the 2001 vintage, the last that Hans-Günter Schwarz produced at the Müller-Catoir winery in Neustadt before his retirement. This magnificent collection was the crowning achievement of a career characterized by both wonderful wines and, at the time, a remarkable willingness to pass on his exceptional skills to friends, apprentices, and trainees.

His Students and Today's Great Winemakers

Among his students are today's winemaking luminaries such as Jan Eymael, Hans-Jörg Rebholz, Andreas Schumann, Frank John, Sven Leiner, Konrad Salwey, Markus Wöhrle, and Julia Keller. They all praise his expertise as well as his interpersonal skills – also because he helped them find and refine their own winemaking style.

Schwarz was ahead of his time not only in his open and helpful nature towards colleagues. His approach to winemaking also stood in contrast to the then-prevailing viticultural and cellar techniques. The realization that great wine originates in the vineyard and therefore requires meticulous work there only gained widespread acceptance decades later.

Criticism wrapped in humor

In an era dominated by machines, powders, and seemingly quality-enhancing interventions, Schwarz embraced the motto of "controlled inaction": good grape must requires minimal intervention in the cellar. "Omitting the wrong thing at the right time," he jokingly called his approach. He could also express criticism with humor. He might describe thin, harmless industrial wines as "pleasantly tastes of nothing."

The result of his work, however, was wines that stood at the pinnacle of German wine quality, not just for one grape variety, but for all of them. No one in his time could so brilliantly and clearly bring out the special characteristics of each grape variety. He impressed astonished critics not only with the finest Rieslings and white Burgundies. His ability to elevate the challenging Rieslaner, both dry and sweet, to breathtaking quality gave this now almost forgotten variety a small boom.

Praise from America for his wines
To this day, hardly any winemaker manages to reliably bottle Scheurebe in its finesse, whether dry, sweet, or even as a noble Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, year after year. This has become known worldwide. His wines have also received top ratings in America.

Winemaking wasn't Hans-Günter Schwarz's birthright. He was born in 1941 in Albersweiler in the Southern Palatinate, one of five siblings. His parents died early. His older brother introduced him to viticulture. After an apprenticeship in Bad Dürkheim and training as a wine technician at the viticultural school in Veitshöchheim, Lower Franconia, he became the manager of the Müller-Catoir winery in Haardt at the age of 19. He remained there for 41 years until his retirement. Even after that, he continued to be a sought-after consultant and a selflessly helpful friend for many years.

"Some of Germany’s best producers tend to get ignored, simply because they’ve been making extraordinary wines for so long. Müller-Catoir in the Pfalz is a perfect example of this.

The Müller-Catoir Riesling Pfalz Bürgergarten "Im Breumel" GG 2024 at No. 9 is simultaneously delightful and exciting, sleek for this rather warm region but with spectacular depth and drive.

The interplay of Asian pear fruit, mandarin orange acidity and subtle minerality makes this a very delightful and exciting riesling GG. Great underplayed concentration and power. Although this is sleek on the medium-bodied palate, the drive and depth in the finish is spectacular."

Stuart Pigott, Senior Editor
James Suckling | Top 100 Wines of Germany 2025: Complexity and Value Rise to the Top

We are pleased to announce that our Herrenletten Weissburgunder has been on the Lufthansa First Class (Long Haul) wine list since the beginning of October.

Excerpt from the Lufthansa First Class menu wine list:

2023 Herrenletten Weissburgunder, Müller-Catoir, Germany

"The ninth-generation family-run Müller-Catoir winery is one of the most traditional wineries in the Palatinate region. The organic winery allows its wines plenty of time with slow fermentation and gentle aging. The Weissburgunder from the Herrenletten vineyard is powerful and full of finesse. A flint note complements aromas of pear, caramel, and toast and is convincing from the first sip."

Herzog Rielaner Beerenauslese | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage noble sweet
98/100 |  "An incredibly concentrated and compact dessert wine with gigantic freshness that some might find too much, but really excites me. Huge flavors of dried apricots, mangoes and papayas on the full-bodied palate. Then incredible pineapple acidity comes through in the very dynamic finish.“

Bürgergarten “Im Breumel” GG | 2024 VDP.Große Lage dry
97/100 | "The interplay of Asian pear fruit, mandarin orange acidity and subtle minerality makes this a very delightful and exciting riesling GG. Great underplayed concentration and power. Although this is sleek on the medium-bodied palate, the drive and depth in the finish is spectacular.“

Bürgergarten Muskateller Auslese | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage noble sweet
97/100 | "The exotic succulence of this remarkable muscat is stunning. So vibrant. Great mangosteen and papaya aromas and flavors. Dynamic acidity drives the super-long and focused finish.“

Mandelring Scheurebe | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage dry
97/100 | "Incredible aromas of ripe melon and fresh basil, but they’re only the most obvious aromas in the very wide spectrum. There are also papayas and hibiscus. So concentrated yet so vibrant, this flows over the medium-bodied palate. Dangerously minerally and refreshing finish that doesn’t want to stop.“

Bürgergarten Muskateller | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage dry
97/100 | "This dry muscat has astonishing racy energy and great wet-stone minerality on the sleek and super-focused palate. What fantastic pink and yellow grapefruit aromas, also a forthright grapiness. Powerful and vibrant wet-stone finish.“

Vogelsang Riesling GG | 2024 VDP.Große Lage dry
96/100 | "Welcome to a beautiful cloud of riesling aromas that range from orange blossoms to fresh apricots. So fresh and delicate in spite of the excellent ripeness, which was a challenge in this vintage. Fantastically filigreed in the super-long and refined finish. Delicate chalky minerality. The first vintage of this wine.“

Bürgergarten Riesling | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage dry
96/100 | "The ravishing floral beauty on the nose makes it hard to get any further, but you must press on to the super-elegant, medium-bodied palate with its delicate apricot, orange blossom and ripe melon flavors. Very long finish with a fresh tarragon note that’s as subtle as the earthy side of this remarkable wine.“

Herrenletten Riesling | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage dry
96/100 | "A super-elegant dry riesling that’s only medium-bodied but very concentrated, with fantastic mineral freshness in the focused and filigreed finish. I love the biscuity aroma that’s so far removed from all the riesling cliches.“

Herrenletten Weißburgunder | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage dry
96/100 | "At once creamy, concentrated and powerful yet elegant and polished, this fabulous dry pinot blanc is medium- to full-bodied with deep white tree fruit and yellow grapefruit aromas. Very long and compact finish.“

Herzog Weißburgunder | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage dry
96/100 | "The restrained richness and silky finesse make this extraordinary dry pinot blanc stand out in the crowd of German wines of this category. Fantastic underplayed power and concentration. Extremely long, cool and precise finish.“

Bürgergarten Riesling Spätlese | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage off-dry
96/100 | "What a beautiful Spatlese. This has the combination of ripeness, freshness and delicacy that this category is all about. Barely off-dry on the barely medium-bodied palate. Fantastic peachy fruit and no less fantastic clarity at the super-grapey finish.“

Herzog Rielaner Auslese | 2024 VDP.Erste Lage noble sweet
95/100 |  "The essence of apricots in this wine is hard to resist because it is so animating on the succulent, medium-bodied palate. Wonderful creamy texture on the mid-palate, but so clean and straight in the finish.“

Neustadt “V” Weißburgunder | 2024 VDP.Ortswein dry
95/100 | "The red apple aromas make this dry pinot blanc stand out, but it is also a sleek and very fresh wine with an almost alpine personality. Super-focused, medium-bodied palate, then a very long, racy finish with great precision. The first vintage of this wine.“

Haardt Riesling | 2024 VDP.Ortswein dry
95/100 | "The aromas and flavors of orange blossoms and smoke seem to vibrate. Fantastic tension and vitality on the super-focused, medium-bodied palate. Such a refined and silky finish, you want it to go on forever, and it is very long.“

Gimmeldingen Riesling Kabinett | 2024 VDP.Ortswein off-dry
95/100 | "The Pfalz is not the ideal location for producing wines of this category, but this is a stunning riesling Kabinett with electric acidity and wonderfully fresh apple and apple blossom aromas. Super-clean finish that pulls you inexorably back for more.“

Neustadt “V” Chardonnay | 2024 VDP.Ortswein dry
94/100 | "Unoaked chardonnay can be pretty boring, but this has terrific energy and vitality, the tension between restrained lees creaminess and mineral freshness so exciting. Excellent interplay between chalky minerality and yellow apples on the focused, medium-bodied palate. The first vintage of this wine.“

Haardt Weißburgunder | 2024 VDP.Ortswein dry
94/100 | "What a beautiful nose of orange blossoms and mandarin oranges. On the medium-bodied palate, this dry pinot blanc has fantastic elegance and finesse. Very long, polished finish with terrific freshness.“

Gimmeldingen Riesling | 2024 VDP.Ortswein dry
93/100 | "A very elegant, cool and refreshing dry riesling with wonderful garden herb aromas and abundant white tree fruit on the sleek, barely medium-bodied palate. With a bit of aeration it develops delicate mandarin orange aromas. Long, filigreed finish.“

Haardt Scheurebe | 2024 VDP.Ortswein dry
93/100 | "A very elegant expression of this grape that’s probably best described as a more discreet version of sauvignon blanc. Very attractive yellow and pink grapefruit aromas. In spite of the freshness, this has a wonderfully silky finish.“

MC Weißburgunder | 2024 VDP.Gutswein dry
92/100 | "A cool and elegant dry pinot blanc that has a delightful lightness of touch on the barely medium-bodied palate. Bright green bean and yellow apple aromas.“

MC Riesling | 2024 VDP.Gutswein dry
91/100 | "The white peach and red apple aromas pour from the glass of this crisp and energetic dry riesling. Light-bodied in spite of 12.5% alcohol, with freshness that makes it lightning bright. Excellent lemon zest flavors in the very crisp finish.“

Exciting wine and culinary evening at the Mandelring Manor: The grand winemaker battle between Müller-Catoir and Seeger

Last Saturday, an extraordinary event took place at the Mandelring Manor, delighting wine lovers and gourmets alike. Together with renowned Michelin-starred chef Hedi Rink from the Urgestein* restaurant, the VDP.Weingüter Müller-Catoir and Seeger competed in a thrilling battle to present the perfect wine pairing for an exquisite 5-course menu.

The evening began with a stylish reception, where guests had the opportunity to enjoy the creative atmosphere and prepare for an enjoyable evening. During the event, the wines from both wineries were served in a direct comparison, accompanied by culinary highlights that left nothing to be desired.

The menu at a glance:

Olive bread / aioli / olive gremolata

***

Cured char / asparagus mousse and salad

Müller-Catoir: 2020 Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling 1G | VDP.Erste Lage dry
vs.
Seeger: 2023 Sauvignon Blanc "S" | VDP.Erste Lage dry

***

White tomato soup / pickled tomatoes / tomato grisini / raviolo

Müller-Catoir: 2021 Haardt Scheurebe | VDP.Ortswein dry
vs.
Seeger: 2024 Auxerrois | VDP.Erste Lage dry

***

Crustacean risotto / bisque / quenelle

Müller-Catoir: 2024 Neustadt „V“ Chardonnay | VDP.Ortswein dry
vs.
Seeher: 2024 Weißer Burgunder AS | VDP.Erste Lage dry

***

Marshmellow with Campari and Calamansi

***

Lamb ragout / sweet potato mash

Müller-Catoir: 2020 Haardter Herzog Spätburgunder 1G | VDP.Erste Lage dry
vs.
Seeger: 2022 Spätburgunder S | VDP.Erste Lage dry

***

Rhubarb / white chocolate / almonds

Müller-Catoir: 2017 Herzog Rieslaner Auslese | VDP.Erste Lage edelsüß
vs.
Seeger: Blanc de Blanc Sekt | VDP.Erste Lage brut

After enjoying the diverse dishes and wines, the question arose as to who would win the evening. While taste remains subjective, all guests agreed: There were no losers this evening, only winners – the shared experience and the joy of good food and wine.

The lively atmosphere and the lively interaction between winemakers, chefs, and guests made the evening an unforgettable experience. The event impressively demonstrated the passion and craftsmanship that lies within the Palatinate's wine and culinary scene.

We thank everyone involved for an inspiring evening and are already looking forward to the next major culinary event!