drink now
A deeply disappointing year
Weather Conditions
After a long cold winter, the budding was late but warm summer weather followed and the flowering in early June could not have been better. As in Bordeaux, the summer was long and hot and it looked as if there would be a great vintage, until October when the Riesling vintage started and rain set in to last for nearly a month. During this period the acidity dropped and both bad rot and good botrytis set in. It was not until the 6th November that the vintage could be properly resumed and it stayed warm and dry until the end of the picking.
Best Appellations
It was more the ability and the patience to wait for the rain to stop of the individual grower than the different regions which determined the quality of this vintage. Some wonderful Ausleses were made, particularly in Mosel/Saar/Ruwer and Rheingau. These are delicious to drink now.
Best Producers
Fritz Haag and Max Ferd. Richter made brilliant Ausleses in Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr and J.J. Prum in Wehlener Sonnenuhr was equally successful.
