# Zielen Chardonnay (2022)

- **Producer:** Weingut Makalié
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Baden, Germany
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €43
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, grapefruit, apricot, peach, white pepper, brioche, toast, smoke

## About this wine

Weingut Makalié was founded in 2019 by Karoline Linka and Max Frölich in Müllheim, Baden. After studying oenology at Geisenheim University and training at leading biodynamic estates across France and Austria, they established their 3.5-hectare artisanal estate. The name Makalié blends Maka, the Lakota Sioux word for Earth, and lié, the French word for connected, reflecting their commitment to low-intervention viticulture and respect for nature.

## Interesting facts

- Only 663 bottles of Zielen Chardonnay were produced for the 2022 vintage.
- The estate name blends Lakota Sioux (Maka for Earth) and French (lié for connected).
- Grapes are grown on volcanic bedrock topped with clay-loess on a cool northeast slope.

## Food pairing

This structured, high-acidity Chardonnay cuts through richer dishes like butter-poached seafood, creamy risottos, and roasted poultry. The wine's vibrant minerality and subtle phenolics create a harmonious balance with savory, herb-accented proteins.

## Wine making process

The Chardonnay grapes for Zielen originate from a cool, northeast-facing single vineyard in Bahlingen am Kaiserstuhl planted on clay-loess overlying volcanic bedrock. Hand-harvested grapes are foot-crushed and slowly whole-cluster pressed before undergoing spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts. The wine is aged for 18 months on full lees in used Burgundian oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur.