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| Community Tasting Notes | | | Tasted by subtlet on 9/7/2011: Tasting Riesling at Jos. Christoffel Jr. (Ürzig, Germany): Aromas of deep apricots and honey rise from the glass. Smelling deeply delivers spice and mineral notes as well. Lovely richness washes over the palate when the wine is tasted. Apple flavors and acidity retain high textural notes while apricot flavors sink into the sweet richness and drag out forever on the finish. The acid shows great refinement and balance, showing some green apple flavors on the finish. This is decadent, full, lovely, and long lasting. A real treat. (2443 views) |
| Riesling Varietal character (Appellation America) | A short history of Riesling (Uncork) | Riesling (wikipedia)Trockenbeerenauslese Trockenbeerenauslese on German Wikipedia | Trockenbeerenauslese on English Wikipedia
Some comments that would mean more to the collectors using Cellartracker than the general Wiki user. The Trockenbeerenauslese was originally a category of wine made from botrytis-affected 'dried berries' (raisins) selected individually one at a time from a very ripe and prolonged harvest. However, the definition of Trockenbeerenauslese was changed at the time of the 1971 German wine laws and makes no mention of the method or time of picking, since those laws defined Prädikatweine based solely on ripeness of the grapes, measured by sugar concentration in the newly pressed must before fermenatation begins, with one infrequent exception--that is for Eisweine. And the minimum ripenesses required were rather low, in the opinion of some, allowing a sort of quality inflation that worked to the benefit of the marketer but to the detriment of the consumer, some felt. <So all the romantic folderol about the harvest methods used for the production of high-end German wine became less than relevant and generally still is, especially in an age of global warming, where what would have been considered unusually ripe harvests are now the rule. It's far easier in a typical recent vintage to have excessive ripeness and acidities that are too low, giving flabby wines where one looks for tense, crisp, refreshing qualities, often even in the sweetest, ripest wines.
However, the most important thing to remember if you are one of the few who can afford to collect these wines, is that the style and quality is more dependent on the difficult and expensive choices made by the specific producer bound on enhancing the fame of his house, than by a number measured on a refractometer. That's why you can buy a "Trockenbeerenauslese" from a little-known producer, with what we would assume to be lower standards, for a seemingly more reasonable price, but buying a similary-designated wine from a passionate maker whose wines are in very high demand may literally cost hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars a bottle. These wines are not only highly sought after by those who know their potentially astonishing quality, but they are produced in miniscule amounts, often only a handful of bottles, and seldom more than a few hundred bottles, of the best wines.
A comment relevant to the Wikipedia article is that it seems to confuse harvest sugar level, on which the law set up, and residual sugar level, or approximately the sweetness of the wine as bottled. The minimum harvest sugar required by the law is approximately 150 grams per liter; but these wines usually have more harvest sugar than that, to allow for the making of a quite sweet dessert-style wine even after much of the sugar is consumed by the yeast in the making of alcohol.
The residual sugar, by the way, in wines that haven't been chapitalized, and to which alcohol has not been added or removed is the sugar remaining or residing in the wine after some of it is consumed by fermentation. This residual sugar may be one contributor to a percieved sweetness in the wine, along with other factors. One could think that the concentration of residual sugar in Brix degrees (grams per 100 ml) is equal to the measured harvest sugar (potential alcohol) in the same units minus the actual alcohol in the wine (for approximation ml alcohol per 100 ml wine) This concentration of residual sugar is expressed as percent potential alcohol, not grams per liter of fruit sugars. To get the actual sugar concentration it is necessary to multiphy the figure so obtained about 1.6. For instance, a wine that has a harvest sugar (as potential allcohol) of 21.5 percent and which has 8.5 percent alcohol by volume would have a calculated residual sugar level in potential alcohol of 13 percent, or a residual sugar of about 20.6 percent, calculated.
Although many factors influence percieved sweeetness, most amateur tasters don't percieve sweetness in wines until about 1 to 2 percent actual residual sugar is present. Until sugar levels are about 6 to 8 percent, these same tasters most often will describe the wine as definitely sweet. Above this level, wines are usually intended as dessert, and have a prominent sweetness as one of the most important components of taste.
Since German Prädikat wines are classified by level of harvest sugar, a table will tell you that the minimum value for a Trockenbeerenauslese is 150 degrees Oechsle. Dividing this number by 8 gives a rule-of-thumb measure of potential alcohol at harvest; for the low end of the scale for these wines, that would be about 18.8 degrees Brix, although 20 plus is a more common actual measurement. If a Trockenbeerenauslese has, say, 7.5 percent alcohol (not an uncommon figure), the residual sugar as potential alcohol is estimated at 18.8 - 7.5 = 11.3 degrees Brix. Multiplying this by 1.6, this comes to about 18 grams of resudal sugar per 100 ml--this is decidedly sweet, but not unusual at all for this style of wine. Thus Trockenbeerenauslesen are very sweet wines, commonly.
In addition to sweetness caused by carbohydrate sugars (not all of which are equally sweet or sweet at all), there are three other major factors influencing percieved sweetness in a wne, and that are likely to be active when these wines are tasted. First is a negative effect based on organic and inorganic acids contained in the finished wine==the more sour-tasting acids therein contained, the less sweet the wine tastes, up to the point that most tasters mignt not notice them at all.
Second is the fruitiness of the wine in the nose and mouth, which have a decided effect when especially a relatively young wine is judged. Third is the actual content of alcohols, especially ethanol, which has a measurable sweetness in hydroalcoholic solutions in the concentrations commonly encountered in wines. So it's a mistake to conclude that it's just sugar content that is the major determinant. jht Ürziger Würzgarten On weinlagen-infoGermany Wines of Germany | The Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) | How to read a German wine label | Geographical Information Down to Single Vineyards
#2014 Vintage Notes:
2014 Vintage Report by Terry Theise
2014 Vintage Report by Wine Spectator
"My gut still tells me the Saar (and to some extent) the Ruwer are better overall in 2014 than the more storied areas of the Mosel proper, but those that spent the requisite time living in their middle-Mosel vineyards made some of the most electric and "feathery" Riesling in a long time (maybe the finest in 20 years - yes, it's true!)" - Jon Rimmerman (Of course only a very short historical memory would call the Saar and Ruwer less 'storied' than the middle Mosel - jht)Mosel Saar RuwerStarting in 2007 the German wine authorities have changed labeling laws to rename all of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines to just "Mosel." This puts this and other database driven sites in a difficult spot, as millions of old wine label reflect the former labeling. As described here, CellarTracker has elected to remain with the old labeling for a number of years to avoid confusion. At some point we will switch over to just "Mosel" but not for a few years at least.
Mosel WeinKulturland (Moselwein e.V.)
Detailed geographical information at weinlagen.info
#2018 Vintage Notes:
"Acid levels are relatively low throughout Riesling-growing Europe (acidification will once again be permitted in Germany – no surprise, as that’s been the case in eight of the last 10 vintages); but because malic acid was baked off or degraded by relentlessly balmy weather means, what acid remains is overwhelmingly of the efficacious tartaric sort. Extract levels are low, as one would anticipate from a growing season during which relatively little moisture was coursing through the vine’s roots and shoots. [...] Everyone is astonished how there could have been so much juice despite the drought." - David Schildknecht
"2018 is a homogenous vintage with a very high general level, below which it seldom falls [...] It leads with blossom. It is perhaps 80% delicious and 20% fascinating." - Terry Theise
#2017 Vintage Notes:
"not so friendly towards light wines" - Milkmansteve
#2016 Vintage Notes: "Overall, 2016 is a charmer of a vintage with much immediate ripe and fruity appeal, not unlike 2011 (in fresher) or 2007 (in lighter). However, 2016 is far from being homogeneous, in fact it is composed of a mosaic of vintages, a result of the freakish growing conditions. Hidden inside the vintage, there are true gems with the balance of 1997, one of the best vintages ever, 2002 or even 2008. The bulk of the harvest was brought in with refreshingly moderate sugar levels. Overall, the Saar and Ruwer produced slightly fresher wines than the Middle Mosel but there are great differences between Estates. The good harvest conditions allowed for some Auslese, little BA and even TBA wines, but some remarkably pure and fruity Eiswein.
In general, 2016 offers the opportunity to acquire Riesling with great immediate ripe appeal: The vintage is a true charmer. At the top, 2016 is one of the most exciting and elegantly balanced vintage since the 1990s and well-worth stocking up for cellaring! In particular, we urge our readers to literally plunge onto the finest Kabinett and Spätlese: These are some of the most exciting and classic we have ever tasted. 2016 looks also set to become a major vintage for dry Riesling, provided the aromatics are not overripe. Lovers of dessert wines will find much to love in 2016 as the Auslese are pure and the Eiswein are gorgeously fruity. They should however also keep an eye open for the remaining stunning noble-sweet wines from 2015 which are still available here and there." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 36, July 2017
#2014 Vintage Notes:
"The heterogeneity of the 2014 vintage carries over onto the aging process. The top wines start to close down, as one would expect from these wines which are a remake of those from the 1990s. The wines affected by gin, saffron and mushroom flavors are still comparatively open and offer a not unattractive Scheurebe styled fruit opulence. We would opt to drink up these lesser wines except for the odd bottle and bury the little treasures of the vintage deep into the cellar." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 30, March 2016
#2013 Vintage Notes:
"The fruity-styled 2013 wines have firmed up significantly since last year and start to show signs of closing down, making the underlying acidity seemingly sharp and out of balance. The better dry wines have come out of their early armor of smoke and tannin but the acidity may prove quite challenging. Quite frankly, except for some smaller bottlings, this is a vintage to lay down and wait." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2012 Vintage Notes:
"The 2012 wines have put on some flesh and go through a 'fattier' phase which is not unlike what the 2007 went through at the same period. However, the zestier acidity cuts through this 'weight' and makes the wines thoroughly enjoyable at this early stage. In particular the fruity Kabinett and Spatlese as well as the off-dry and dry wines offer much pleasure. We expect these wines to close down over the coming year or two. Enjoy while it lasts!" - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2011 Vintage Notes:
"A bit to our surprise, the 2011 wines have shut down and go through a quite difficult and muted phase now. Their low acidity combined with their maturity makes them feel rich, opulent and often bulky, and thus not really enjoyable. We expect that these will need at least a decade to integrate their sweetness and gain in harmony. The only exception is the dry wines, whose low acidity makes for great food companionship." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2010 Vintage Notes:
"After a mellower period in 2012, many 2010 wines have firmed up and developed a stronger smoky side. However, most continue to shine through their fruit opulence, structure and deliciously zesty but ripe acidity. This suits in particular the off-dry bottlings, which have more charm than the legally dry wines. Will these wines close down? Actually, the softening acidity makes us wonder now but it also provides further evidence that these wines will turn out harmonious after all." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2009 Vintage Notes:
"Most 2009 wines have closed down, which accentuates their round and soft side forward. Many can still be quite enjoyable but the times of primary fruit with its attractive aromatic expression and a generous acidic kick are now over. Except for the dry wines, we would definitely recommend keeping your hands off any bottle in your cellar and possibly buying more wines from this vintage on the market as these are true gems in the making." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015 |
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