(Originally published on 22 October 2018)
Unlike several of the other estates I visited, the harvest was almost normal — only off 5% from a full harvest. The quality is extremely high across the board, and the wines are due your most serious attention.
Unlike several of the other estates I visited, the harvest was almost normal — only off 5% from a full harvest. The quality is extremely high across the board, and the wines are due your most serious attention.
All wines were bottled between late June and mid-July.
2017 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett
Graacher floral fruit — slight tropicality with good acidity, crystallinity. Purity, some allspice, length. Not terribly sweet. 9.0% stated alcohol. 92+/A
2017 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett
More body than the Himmelreich with Sonnenuhr pear and apple fruit and vanilla. High acidity tempers the sweetness. 94/A+
2017 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese
Mineral, almost rust, nose. Medium-weight, dense, smooth, showing less acid attack than previous, not as tight or energetic. 91/A-
2017 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese
Roses in the nose. Apple fruit in the mouth, excellent acidity. Young, but showing great promise. 94(+)/A
2017 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese
Great acid attack, crystalline, pure. Great minerality. Himmelreich melon and apple fruit. Crackling acidity. 8.0% stated alcohol. 93(+)/A
2017 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese
Sweet but balanced with apply fruit and some power. Spice in nose. Less forward acidity than, e.g., the Zeltinger. 8.0% stated alcohol. 94/A
2017 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese
Good acidity, medium-weight. Not super sweet. Apply fruit to go with spice. Length. Crystalline. A little botrytis showing. 93/A-
2017 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese
Reductive nose. Honeyed apple on palate, good supporting acidity — tight, nervy, focused. 95/A
2017 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
Focused, tight, not as sweet as the Himmelreich, a bit broader, less penetrating. Mineral in the mouth, sweet, showing some honey. 95/A
2017 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese (gold capsule)
Intense, spicy very sweet, but balanced. Light on the palate, some honeyed fruit. 95/A
2017 Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Auslese (gold capsule)
Rounder than the Himmelreich GKA, some honey; less open today; good sweetness, medium-light. Some marzipan here, too. 94/A
2017 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (gold capsule)
Herbs in nose. Dense, honeyed, rich, long. One easily senses the botrytis. 96/A
2017 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (gold capsule)
Apples with hints of bitter almond in nose. Good sharpness. Not as rich or honeyed or dense as the Zeltinger. 95/A
2017 Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Auslese (long gold capsule)
Dense, intense, honey and brown sugar. Rich, mineral, long, piercing. 96/A
Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen were also produced, but they are not being released this year.