Preview of VDP Grand Cru 2023 Wiesbaden
Preview of VDP Grand Cru 2023 Wiesbaden
a preview showcasing some of the finest single-vineyard wines Germany has to offer
Once again, I have the privilege of attending this magnificent preview event, where the crème de la crème of German winemakers present themselves to industry insiders and unveil their new vintages. The Kurhaus Wiesbaden is the perfect location for this tasting. Everything feels so festive—the chandeliers, the aesthetics—and watching the illustrious audience of top sommeliers, merchants, trade press, and international wine critics as they sample the wines is equally impressive.
Fine-Tuning Excellence: Upcoming Changes to German Vineyard Classification?
On the second day, Steffen Christmann, the current president of the society, made an interesting announcement: starting this year, the vineyard classification will be reevaluated. This is also part of integrating Erstes Gewächs (First Growth) and Großes Gewächs (Grand Cru) into German wine law. From my perspective, this makes perfect sense. In the future, vineyards will not only be classified solely based on historical viewpoints and records but will also take into account critics' feedback, wine quality, and the reputation of the vineyard. This process will be ongoing, and every five years, the vineyards will be re-examined to ensure they still meet the high standards of the association. This might be particularly interesting considering that many wines were available for tasting at the event, and some delivered questionable quality, despite being supposed to represent the pinnacle.
The 2022 Vintage Unveiled: A Challenge of Fruit and Nuances
But now, onto the main event—the new vintage: While 2021 focused on acidity and freshness, 2022 is all about the fruit. Sometimes it's more pronounced, almost ripe, and at times it comes across too sharp. But then again, it beautifully complements the wine's structure, wrapping around its essence like a golden blanket, adding body, volume, and fullness. In the best cases, it's a perfect interplay and harmony. Most winemakers have mastered this challenge beautifully, and it was a delight to sample the new vintage in Wiesbaden. Here, I present my personal highlights. Of course, the list is incomplete—sampling 471 wines in three days is nothing short of an athletic feat.
Part One: Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder)
Ahr Valley
We start at the Ahr with Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder). How was the year 2021? This question overshadows perhaps the worst event in the valley's history. It's the flood vintage, whose high waters nearly swept away the entire valley, and nobody really thought that serious qualities would emerge from this vintage. Yet, au contraire, what I have in my glass is by far the best expression of the 2021 Pinot Noir from Germany. One thing seems common to all the wines: the taut and fresh acidity, coupled with a delicate perfume note. Some are on the riper side, and in others, you notice the use of whole grapes in the fermentation. The use of wood is subtle, and the finest, most captivating examples clearly come from Meyer-Näkel. I also find the early Pinot Noir (Frühburgunder) interesting every year, here from Deutzerhof.
Deutzerhof Herrenberg 2021
Beautiful, pure cherry fruit, raspberry, and strawberry. On the palate, pure, juicy, with a slight stem approach, but not unpleasant. Has something slightly bitter, quite beautiful. – 93 Points
Meyer-Näkel Sonnenberg 2021
Finely perfumed nose. Some lilac, hibiscus, and a complex fruit profile evident in the nose, cherry, strawberry, some licorice, and a hint of mint. On the palate, taut, compact. Surprisingly grippy. The backbone of the wine, the acidity, this grip, wow. Again, this potpourri of fruit—sour cherry, black currant, licorice, and a touch of mint. Long-lasting and grand. - 97 Points
Meyer-Näkel Kräuterberg 2021
Meyer-Näkel's wines are a work of art. This captivating, multi-layered nose that envelops you. Red fruit underscored with oregano. On the palate, a bit more bitter than the Sonnenberg. More stems and green notes give it some edges and at the same time a long-lasting structure. Exceptionally elegant in its manner. Some rose petals and lilac join in the finish. - 96 Points
Franken
In Franken, the fruit ripens, but by no means with less grip on the palate—quite the opposite, as demonstrated by Fürst.
Rudolf Fürst Schlossberg 2021
Fürst's expression from Schlossberg starts off with a light animalistic note that quickly disappears behind a lovely, yet confusing? zucchini note and chalk. On the palate, this chalky grip is the first thing you notice—wet chalk describes it best. The wine is highly serious and powerful. Quite impressive with a long finish. – 95 Points
Rheinhessen
In Rheinhessen, the duo Kühling-Gillot Battenfeld-Spanier impresses me the most. Simply a beautiful vintage with such pure and juicy fruit. Both produce consistently great wines. Wagner-Stempel also impresses me with his Heerkretz.
Kühling-Gillot Kreuz 2021
Alluring with a clean nose, playfully feminine, with a touch of cherry, licorice, and lilac. On the palate, it is also very rounded and balanced, with rich fruit, almost compote-like. – 95 Points
Battenfeld-Spanier Kirchenstück 2021
Comes across as multi-layered. A captivating nose, lots of red fruit, strawberry compote, and cherry. On the palate, it's subtly balanced; everything is in the right place. A well-integrated acidity plays with fine tannins, underscored by just the right amount of woody notes. Sandalwood. Great length. – 95 Points
Wagner-Stempel Heerkretz 2021
A lovely, deep nose. Olive tapenade, forest berries, and chervil. On the palate, it's fresh and slightly bitter. Wonderful. – 94 Points
Pfalz
In the Pfalz, I'm faced with quite a line-up, so let's dive straight into the tasting notes without further ado.
Rings Saumagen 2021
It also has a slight reduction, but less than Felsenberg. Extremely fresh, soy sauce, Pu-Er tea, and faded magnolias. And very powerful, captivating. – 96 Points
Christmann Idig 2021
The nose is fine, balanced. There's a hint of soy sauce, something green, and a nice fruit compote. On the palate, it lines smoothly, fine and round. Like a carpet unfurling. Beautiful wine, elegant and fine. – 94 Points
Friedrich Becker 2020
Friedrich Becker presented three 2020 vintages from his vineyards Sankt Paul, Heydenreich, and KB. It was by far the roughest tannin that has flooded my cortex during this tasting. But I know what these wines can do if they've slumbered somewhere for at least 10 years. Behind this potential lurks such fine fruit, pure and incredible grip. Even the color is still so pure and youthful. Go for the long run – it will be great. – (95-97) Points
Baden
In Baden, there are several candidates that have convinced me. Naturally, I had high expectations for Franz Keller, but this time my favorite was Salwey. His entire portfolio at this tasting is simply top-notch. Stigler is also excellent and my new discovery in the region. Of course, the wines from Julian Huber are grand, but I had mixed feelings as I observe his wine style in several winemakers, even in France, aiming for more freshness and less alcohol. But isn't this more a matter of style rather than origin? A fascinating question worth discussing. Baden, alongside Ahr, certainly represents the best of German Pinot Noir. That much is clear.
Salwey Eichberg 2021
Salwey also brings a seductive depth to the bottle with his 2021 Eichberg. One can feel the vintage, the freshness. Salwey fully embraces the fruit, which is juicy and underlined by a fine minerality reminiscent of flint or chalk. Great wine. – 96 Points
Franz Keller Eichberg 2021
That nose. Alluring, so typical and expressive. A successful combo of freshness, just the right amount of roasted aromas, fine tannins, and juicy fruit. – 96 Points
Stigler Winklerberg Pagode 2019
Also very fine, a bit volatile at the beginning, then strawberry. Taut, juicy, wicked acidity, blue berries, blackberry, forest berries, mint. Superb. – 95 Points
Bernhard Huber Sommerhalde 2021
I have to think of DRC (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) - whole grape fermentation, picked a bit too early? Lots of tobacco leaf on the nose, very fresh and taut with beautiful blue fruit. Juicy, yet still a bit stubborn. – 96 Points
Part 2. Silvaner
My feelings on this year's Silvaners from Franken are mixed. On the one hand, the acidity was quite sharp, and I missed the soft, creamy, yellow-fruit character, which, on the other hand, the Rieslings completely nailed. Rudolf May is a safe bet, and Zehnthof-Luckert is truly grand. I'm also a fan of Juliusspital Würzburg.
Rudolf May Himmelspfad 2022
The Himmelspfad starts off a bit reserved, showing a little stone fruit and is extremely fresh, reminiscent of freshly harvested grass. Some verbena and sweet apples emerge with increasing aeration. On the palate, it really takes off, showing incredible drive, and again that slightly greenish bitterness. Smoke, flint, and a chalky note that I also noticed on the nose. Long-lasting and powerful, sharp with a hint of ginger on the finish. – 95 Points
Zehnthof-Luckert Maustal 2022
A bit on the ripe side, but wonderfully fresh. Cool, ice-whipped yogurt with candied lemon. Certainly, the finest expression of Silvaner so far. On the palate, back to the usual style. Razor-sharp acidity provides the backbone, and a fine bitter note gives it good length. – 95 Points
Juliusspital Würzburg Stein-Berg 2021
So beautiful and fine. Peach, creamy candy, and a fine mineral grip. On the palate, taut, pulling, with a light bitter note, and fine creaminess. Good wine. – 93 Points
Part 3. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay
My favorites in this section this year clearly come from Baden again. With no grape variety were the differences between the 2021 and 2022 vintages as distinct in expression as with the Pinot Blanc. It was evident who could integrate the warm fruit of 2022 and how wonderfully fresh the 2021s are. But there were also favorites in the Pfalz. And finally, Julian Huber deserves praise for his insane Chardonnay.
Pfeffingen Herrenberg 2022 Pinot Blanc, Pfalz
Cool creamy yogurt, damp stone with fine minerality. On the palate, extremely taut with a smooth cream component. Well made, albeit still on the reductive side. – 93 Points
Ökonomierat Rebholz Im Sonnenschein 2022 Pinot Blanc, Pfalz
Im Sonnenschein initially shows reductive, then behind it beautiful melt and taut, herbaceous acidity. – 94 Points
Salwey Kirchberg 2020 Pinot Blanc, Baden
Beautiful pear fruit, expressive with fine melt. Behind it, the cool stone. Like at the entrance to a cave. Then on the palate insane acidity, taut and compressed grapefruit peel. Very demanding, slight reduction but good. The best up to now. – 95 Points
Franz Keller Bassgeige Kähner 2021 Pinot Gris, Baden
A crackle of finely ground stone, unripe pear, and a bit of exotic fruit. On the palate very taut, citric-herbal, reminiscent of tonic water. – 94 Points
Salwey Henkenberg 2020 Pinot Gris, Baden
Here it gets a bit riper. Exotic, lychee, smoke, and some tire scuff. Maybe all at once. The mental picture is complete. On the palate, it stays ripe, slight phenolics blend in, and again this bitter note in the finish. – 95 Points
Franz Keller Kirchberg 2021 Chardonnay, Baden
A creamy start. Delicate white flowers, fresh magnolias with some honey. The nose is enchanting. Yogurt, nougat is in play. Absolutely harmonious and balanced, further showing almond blossom, sesame, apricots, and lemon cheesecake. Truly long. Great wine. – 97 Points
Bernhard Huber Schlossberg 2021 Chardonnay, Baden
Wow, I bow down. This is flint and smoke. It vibrates; it radiates. On the palate then pure concentration, and insane freshness. This wine has to age for decades, it brings so much potential. So beautifully juicy without falling apart. An insane length, it forever narrows down, dries out, becomes salty and remains as a crystal on the tongue. High class - 98 Points
Part 4: Riesling
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Let's start with Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. It appears that 2022 reveals a riper stylistic approach than 2021. Some wines bring a lovely exoticism, as demonstrated by Van Volxem's Bockstein, as well as a distinct stony aromatic profile. The fruit is more present in many wines than it was in 2021, yet they display a poignant and formative acidic structure surrounded by fine fruit. This is lovely, yet sometimes it also feels somewhat warm, hot, giving the impression that the power of the fruit has not yet properly found its place in the wine.
Van Volxem Bockstein 2022
The Bockstein brings lovely exoticism to the nose. Ripe apple, pears, and seductive, soft on the palate. Yet its strength is clearly noticeable. - 94 Points
Van Volxem Scharzhofberger Pergentsknopp 2022
Almost sweet on the nose, yet there's also a slightly reductive note. Extremely complex in aroma. Lemon peel, orange zest, nutmeg, and gradually peach and pear join in. On the palate, it is incredibly taut, grips, doesn't digress, and stays forever long. Cool, fresh and salty, powerful and elegant at the same time. Great cinema. - 98 Points
Maxim Grünhaus Abtsberg 2022
Initially restrained, gradually grassy spicy notes show themselves. Some apple peel, lemon yogurt. Then ultra polished on the palate, precise yet surrounded by ripe fruit. Grapefruit juice, lime, and tonka bean. Hats off. - 95 Points
Nahe
For me, the Nahe is simply a highlight. So precise, long, and playful at the same time. The perfect expression for this grape variety. Clear favorite: Schäfer-Fröhlich. I just love this style—initially reductive, then the pull and grip, and so much joy to drink.
Emrich-Schönleber Frühlingsplätzchen 2022
Cool yellow stone fruit, very harmonious right from the nose. Then taut, serious, and warm on the palate. Very much on the expressive side, powerful. Peach and mango notes join in. Long finish. – 95 Points
Schäfer-Fröhlich Frühlingsplätzchen 2022
Strong reduction at the beginning. Typical Schäfer-Fröhlich. Behind it, awesome flint, pull, tautness, and juiciness. Wow, what an entrance. A fine tannin lays itself on my front teeth, lines the palate, vibrates, and stays forever long. Top-notch. – 95 Points
Dönnhoff Dellchen 2022
Very elegant nose. Also balanced. Greek yogurt, cream candy, meadow herbs like chamomile, behind it peach, nectarines. Then on the palate, wow, full power. Full surprise moment. Sorrel, tangerines, lemon peel. Very complex and taut with formative, clear acidity and an everlasting aftertaste. – 97 Points
Franken
This year, the Rieslings from Franken caught my eye in a positive way. As described at the beginning, it seemed to be vice versa this year, and the Rieslings show beautiful expression due to the warmer vintage. Once again, it's my favorites Zehnthof-Luckert and Ludwig Knoll who impress.
Zehnthof-Luckert Maustal 2022
In short: So taut, so beautiful. Cool and stony. Outstanding. – 94 Points
Weingut am Stein – Ludwig Knoll Stein 2021
Wow, captivating. Cool yogurt. Taut freshness, soft balance. Outstanding. – 94 Points
Rheinhessen
From Rheinhessen, the trio of Kühling-Gillot, Battenfeld-Spanier, and Wittmann clearly impressed me.
Kühling-Gillot Hipping 2022
Hipping introduces a lactic component to the nose. Also on the fruit-forward side again, which I love about Kühling Gillot. The floral signature comes through on top. A smoky component develops with increasing air exposure. Complex in the nose right off the bat. On the palate, it's balanced and solid. No breakout star, but elegantly self-contained. The aromatic complexity continues on the palate. It's a quiet wine, and that's precisely why it's so exciting. – 95 Points
Battenfeld-Spanier Frauenberg 2022
Full concentration on Hans-Oliver Spanier's Frauenberg. Taut minerality. Perfectly integrated fruit component and spot-on balanced. – 96 Points
Battenfeld-Spanier Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott 2022
Wow, even more concentrated, taut, and powerful. And so well restrained. Lots of smoky notes, flint, and salinity. Good reduction that doesn't clash. – 97 Points
Wittmann Moorstein 2022
Super. Some vanilla in the nose, apple slices from the fridge, pear juice. Interesting. On the palate, again classic Wittmann style. Steps up, has pull, length, and presence. Slightly below Kirchspiel in style, but also good minerality and this slightly drying chalkiness on the palate with a light herbal note. Very good. – 94 Points
Pfalz
The Pfalz region presents an overall non-homogeneous portfolio this year. Perhaps a bit too warm, presenting a challenge. Steffen Christmann's Idig is mighty. Other highlights for me include Rings and Pfeffingen. The selection was extensive, and I also enjoyed the portfolios from Basserman-Jordan and initially Reichsrat von Buhl, although they too often played the vanilla card. The Rebholz brothers were also good.
A. Christmann Idig 2022
Soft tones from Christmann's Idig, as always it starts very reserved on the nose. It needs time. Initially, slight salinity emerges, some chalk, seashells. Then the fruit comes slowly, very lightly, pear. On the palate, strength, thrust forward. Stone, dryness, lemon verbena, allspice. Quite the wolf in sheep's clothing; the length is phenomenal. – 96 Points
Rings Saumagen 2022
Again, slight reduction, the cool rock. On the palate, then, awesome, again the stone, salt, but also bitter notes, chervil, almonds, green walnuts. A wine with edge. – 94 Points
Rings Weilberg 2022
Ooh, a beautiful combo of flint and elderflower blossoms. No reduction here, pure mineral. Taut on the palate, nicely lining it with spicy salinity. Elderflower blossoms, blackthorn, great length. – 94 Points
Pfeffingen Weilberg 2022
Another beautiful expression of Weilberg. Less stone, but a bit more expansive with yogurt notes and apple tart. On the palate, then, intense concentration and power without being expansive. Top. – 94 Points
Rebholz Kastanienbusch 2022
Full-on Timut pepper on the nose. That juniper note, awesome. Great pull, excellent freshness, fun, balanced, doesn't feel heavy. What's exciting is the spiciness and heat that blends in. Outstanding! – 98 Points
Conclusion
Not much more needs to be added. I think the tasting notes speak for themselves and provided a lot of input. Of course, the wines are young and still need further development. More background on individual wines would be exciting to read, but this report is rather a snapshot, and perhaps some will reappear in a more intensive tasting or even a vintage vertical. It's clear that the vintage is polarizing, as seen in the Pfalz and Franken. Even more delightful was the presentation of the 2021s from Ahr.
It's definitely a snapshot, a slice of time in bottles, reflecting the great skills of the German winemaker scene. Not all have convinced, and I welcome Christmann's announcement for the re-evaluation of classification. Just as no year is like another, we must understand the wines in their creation, what factors played a role, and who made them. Context is what I say. Because they're not just the end product in a bottle; they are witnesses of time, not just of terroir, but also of skill.
A big thank you to the VDP, Theresa Olkus, and the whole team, and all the helpers who provided a perfect tasting.