Top buys from the German VDP wine tasting: 2018 whites & 2017 reds

2018 whites & 2017 reds, with a few late-release wines too...

Curiosity was great at the first outing of the 2018 whites and 2017 reds at the Weinbörse tasting in Mainz, Germany, held at the end of April each year. It’s a key event for the VDP, covering all levels from Gutswein to Grosse Lage, although the Grosses Gewächs (the top category of dry wines) are not released until September. In the meantime, you can see last year’s Grosses Gewächs report here

What is the VDP?The Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter consists of 196 top wine estates from across Germany’s 13 wine regions. The group is vetted for and adheres to strict rules including low yields, higher must weights, selective hand harvesting and five-yearly inspections. Wine estates that belong to the VDP bear the group’s eagle symbol on the bottle.

Around 5% of Germany’s vineyards are included in the VDP classification.

The very best wines made within the VDP may be classified as Grosse Lage, the German equivalent of a grand cru. These wines are subject to a tasting panel, must have a maximum yield of 50hl/ha, are hand-harvested and must be made from traditional grapes in proven sites. Below this top level is Erste Lage (‘premier cru’), then Ortswein (‘village wine’) and Gutswein.

Beyond this terroir-driven classification, differing styles within each level can be indicated as with non-VDP prädikatswein, with Trocken, Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese appearing on the labels.

A quick guide to German grape names

Many German grape varieties have synonyms. Below are some found in this report.

Pinot Noir – Spätburgunder

Blaufränkisch – Lemberger/Limberger

Pinot Blanc – Weissburgunder

2018

After two meagre harvests, 2018 was not only hot and dry but also plentiful.

4/5

A heatwave year

On show were the whites that ripened in the record-breaking summer of 2018. The fruit was healthy and abundant. The fact that 2018 was generous is a boon: it allowed winemakers to experiment more and it will also mean that they can afford to hold some wines back for later release – a concept that’s becoming more and more popular in Germany.

A handful of these late releases add some depth to the tasting notes below, and in fact Clemens Busch’s Marienburg Fahrlay-Terrassen Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2016 earns my joint-top mark.

One question is whether the wines in 2018 still have their customary acidity – a justifiable question as tartaric acid was completely sold out in late summer last year. Tartaric is the acid proper to wine but it can also be used as an additive – quite legally – to acidify must.

Canopy management

The best producers in Germany, many of whom are assembled in the VDP ranks, have learned a lot since the last heatwave summer of 2003. Travelling around the wine regions last summer, I noticed that most vines took the heat and dryness in their stride, often standing tall in juicy, green leaf, as orchards and shrubs around them drooped.

Their vineyards are well-adapted now, with canopies micro-managed to ensure fruit shading with good ventilation, ensuring health and freshness. Shortened canopies reduce assimilation surface: fewer leaves means less photosynthesis and allows grapes to ripen aromatically without clocking up too much sugar.

VDP chairman Steffen Christmann from the warm Pfalz region noted that while 2018 was disproportionately warm in the cooler regions, the warmer, southern regions had not been much hotter than usual. What was different was the dryness, which meant some dry stress but, thankfully, sufficient winter rain meant that this was mostly confined to young vines lacking deep root systems.

A question of acid

With early bud-break, the early harvest had not really shortened the vegetative period but harvest point was still crucial. Robert Haller of Würzburg’s Bürgerspital reported that Silvaner was harvested even before Müller-Thurgau, while Anne Dönnhoff of the Dönnhoff estate in the Nahe reported that fruit was so wonderfully healthy that a ‘short, compact harvest’ was possible.

Dorothee Zilliken of Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken in the Saar reported that, curiously, acid levels were lower than usual – still around the 7-8g/l mark, but with pH levels as low as ever at 2.9.

Other producers echoed this sentiment but none could quite explain this freak of nature. Dr Carl von Schubert of Maximin Grünhaus in the Ruwer said: ‘This year, Bruderberg was a magician. The wonderful acidity was still there.’

In terms of Riesling, retaining acidity was key. ‘Looking at pH was crucial in 2018,’ explained Daniel Wagner of Weingut Wagner Stempel in Rheinhessen, noting that he looked back at his records from 2003 to marvel how much he had learned since then. He also noted that he whole-bunch pressed without employing any skin contact in order to keep the pH low.

So work in both vineyard and cellar was geared to preserve as much freshness as possible in 2018. It’s surprising how vivid and refreshing the wines are without making teeth hurt as some young Riesling vintages can. The wines are approachable and open already and will be a joy for those who love ripe fruit expression.

2017 reds

Sorting, sorting, sorting was the mantra in 2017, but what is here is sinuous, pure and fresh.

4/5

The reds from the 2017 vintage show an elegant bent with fine freshness. The wines in these non-Grosses Gewächs categories are of excellent value, and as an Ortswein (village wine) showcase of Rheinhessen demonstrated, they do age beautifully.

Anne’s top German VDP wines from the latest releases:

You may also like:

Dr Loosen: Profile and top-rated wines

Germany: Grosses Gewächs new releases – Riesling 2017 and Pinot 2016

Understanding Grosses Gewächs Riesling and wines to look for

Top Pinot Noir wines outside Burgundy