Cuvée Elena Brut – 2019

Introducing: Organic Sekt Cuvée Elena by Andres & Mugler

For the Andres & Mugler Organic Sekt Cuvée Elena Brut Nature, Chardonnay and Auxerrois are combined with white-pressed Schwarzriesling—also known as Pinot Meunier in Champagne—to create a unique cuvée with an unmistakable character. This results in a sparkling wine of the highest caliber, with a grape variety composition rarely found in Germany. Elegant and mineral-driven, aromatic, cool, very dry with light yeast notes, more stone than fruit, and lean rather than opulent.

This complex Burgundy-style cuvée is fragrant with citrus fruits, juicy pineapple, and a touch of peach, while tart, ethereal notes of sage round out the aromatic profile. On the palate, the organic Sekt impresses with its cool elegance and delicate mousse. The Andres & Mugler Cuvée Elena Brut Organic Sekt is produced using the traditional bottle fermentation method.

Cuvée Elena Brut – Inner Values

• 12.5% ABV
• 7.2 g/l acidity
• 4.1 g/l residual sugar

Organic Sekt – How Cuvée Elena Brut is Made

The Burgundy grapes for this Andres & Mugler organic Sekt grow on mineral soils in the Palatinate region, specifically in Ruppertsberg, Deidesheim, and Maikammer. Cool winds from the nearby Palatinate Forest ensure a good acid structure in the early-harvested base wines, which is essential for high-quality Sekt.

The quality philosophy at the Andres & Mugler Sekt estate begins with careful soil cultivation and consistent cover cropping. The vineyard work of Michael Andres and Steffen Mugler is pure craftsmanship, deeply rooted in a love for biodynamics. The rhythm of nature significantly dictates their actions. For both, healthy soil, intact flora and fauna, and consequently vigorous vines are prerequisites for a healthy circular economy. They hand-pick all biodynamically farmed vineyard plots to ensure the grapes reach the Sekt estate in Ruppertsberg undamaged.

Here, the Chardonnay, Auxerrois, and the red-skinned Schwarzriesling are gently pressed; the gentler the pressing, the fewer tannins and waxes from the berry skins end up in the must, resulting in a finer and longer-lasting perlage in the finished Sekt. Only about two-thirds of the juice present in the berries is extracted.

In the cellar, Steffen Mugler and Michael Andres give their Sekts time. The grapes are allowed to ferment slowly and undergo malolactic fermentation, during which the malic acid in the wine is converted into the milder lactic acid, lending the base wine a special mouthfeel and creaminess. Around 20 percent of the Chardonnay is aged in barriques, which adds even more complexity to the cuvée.

The following year, the Cuvée Elena is blended, bottled, and tirage-added to trigger the second fermentation in the bottle. It is then left to rest and mature on the fine lees for another year. The bottles are regularly riddled and increasingly tilted until the very end, when the yeast plug is removed by hand during disgorgement. The Andres & Mugler Organic Sekt Cuvée Elena Brut then receives its dosage and rests in the bottle until "it is ready when it comes out," as Steffen emphasizes. 2018 is the current vintage.

Andres & Mugler – The Sekt Makers

The Andres & Mugler Sekt estate in Ruppertsberg was founded in 1989 by friends and Palatinate winemakers Michael Andres and Steffen Mugler. In the early years, base wines were purchased and turned into Sekt, but since 1993, only grapes from their own cultivation have been used. Across a total of 17 hectares (7 hectares for Michael and 10 hectares for Steffen), the estate practices biodynamic viticulture, growing Riesling and white Burgundy varieties like Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, and Chardonnay, as well as Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) and Pinot Noir in the best vineyard sites of the Palatinate. These grapes are used to produce German Sekt with an unmistakable, elegant style via traditional bottle fermentation. This is top-tier German sparkling wine in organic quality. In 2018, two of their Sekts were rated as "very good" at the Meininger German Sekt Awards for the first time, followed in 2021 by the recognition from Eichelmann's "Germany's Wines" as the best Sekt collection of 2021. Truly impressive. The Andres & Mugler Sekt estate is a member of "die Sektmacher," the association of traditional Sekt producers.

Organic inspection body DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture