Poll: What is your favorite German vintage in the "Run" ('01 - '10)?

Poll: What are your favorite German vintages in the “Run” ('01 - '10)?

  • 2001
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2009
  • 2010

0 voters

Favorite German vintages in the “Run” ? ? ?

Tough one, I know.

I’ve loved wines from each & every one.

I’ve kept the option at one answer, but please also add your place & show (or more) preferences, & area(s) favored in any particular vintage as well.

Big Riesling Cheers! . . . uh, I mean PROST! [wink.gif]

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2010 is my absolute favorite. Yes, even at this early stage. Especially for Mosel.
There isn’t a vintage I’ve ever tasted that matches it in intensity.

2001 & 2004 would edge in above the 3rd place gaggle for 2nd place. Across the board for me - MSR, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz.

3rd place: 2007, 2009, 2005. Mainly Mosel.

Next would be 2006. This is predominantly Mosel for me also.

2008 & 2003. '08 could move up a bit, but haven’t really tasted enough yet, & most of the ones I’ve really liked could use some age.
Do Love the '03’s. Low acid - yes, of course, but the concentration of powdered minerals in some of the wines (esp. Auslesen) is certainly beguiling.

2002 brings up the rear - but this is no low blow in this class of unprecedented run of high quality Riesling. The better '02’s haven’t given their best yet, I don’t think.

Haven’t followed 2011 yet - are we still on track ? ? ? [wink.gif]

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All have strengths, but my preferences go 2001, 2010, 2002, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2009, 2003, 2006.

Generally speaking of course.

Cheers,
Bill

I have had some really great 2007s and so picked it. 2001 and 2005 are also quite nice. I also have really liked the style of 2008. Had a Hexamer Quarzit Reserve 2008 last night that was just lovely. I have not had enough 2010s yet to vote for it, but a LGC Auslese from Schloss LIeser was really special.

2010 then 2008. I am late to the game and did not get to drink earlier this decade.

I voted for 2001. For me 2001 represents the perfect balance of fruit and acidity, and while not spectacular across all of the major regions (it’s somewhat inconsistent in a number of them - Rheinhessen, Mittelrhein, Saar/Ruwer…), the consistent excellence in the Middle Mosel and Nahe, as well as some spectacular wines from the Rheingau (e.g. Leitz, the under appreciated Spreitzer brothers) make the year for me.

When I try to place the vintages in some kind of ranking I get a bit stuck, but I break it down this way:

2001 - as stated above
2002 - perhaps more consistent than 2001. I don’t quite see the high points as being quite as high. love the freshness of the vintage
2008 - ranked this high because again I love the freshness of the wines
2010 - preliminary, as I have not drank enough to make a solid ranking here. some wines are shrill, especially at the dry end
2009 - top quality, but a touch softer than 2001 to my palate. lots of richness, sometimes too much.
2004 - a similar vintage to 2002, just not as consistently good
2007 - very ripe, very clear, a little more acidity would bump it way up the rankings for me
2005 - wonderful Middle Mosel wines, though too soft to reach my upper tier. overall I like this vintage less and less as time goes on
2006 - weird! have a bunch, and we’ll see what happens to them
2003 - too fat, too soft. I don’t like this vintage.

Although the wines are just coming out and I haven’t tried many of my bottlings/producers yet, everything Ive tasted from 2010 has had a level of focus, acidity and precision that is superior to the same wines from previous vintages in the 2000’s…

Good comments above. From the most recent vintages I like 2008 and '10, but it just depends. On the Saar, for example, certain communes had higher ripeness levels in '10 than in the Middle Mosel. In addition, some growers performed better in one year, regardless if the vintage was considered better.

Last night after a Barbaresco/Barolo tasting ('05 and '06 Produttori del Barbaresco, '07 Bartolo Mascarello, '65 Battista Borgogno, etc.), we opened some Immich-Batterieberg '09s, older vintages, and a couple of J.J. Prüm wines, including an '08 Sonnenuhr Kabi courtesy of K.P. It was closed down, but not sulfury or overly stinky and still delicious.

John,

I’m with you!

I think a couple/three years from now 2010 would get more votes of support in a poll like this.

From all reports 2010 is certainly not the most even across the board, no-brainer great vintage, but the amazing highs, quality, & most especially fruit intensity coupled with amazing acidity many of these wines reach is clearly unprecedented. At least in my experience.

Now my knowledge of fine German Riesling only goes back to the '64’s (great - the few I tasted), so maybe it can only be claimed to be the top vintage of the last 50 years. LOL

Anybody here have personal knowledge of earlier great vintages . . . ? ? ?

I’ve heard great reports of the '59’s, but never tasted one - definitely a low acid vintage, but probably superior to 2003.

1953? 1952? Did Germany (like Pomeral/St. Emilion & especially Sauternes) have a miraculous 1950?

1949, 1947, 1945?

Maybe 1937 could challenge 2010? I have read reports of a great vintage with good acidity.

Going back further - 1920, 1921, 1929? 1893?

OK, so I’m just babbling curiousity. [soap.gif]

Cheers! to the Very Great stuff! The stuff you never forget!

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Geez!

Did I really not even mention 1971?!? [head-bang.gif]

Yes. I do put 2010 (already) even above the lordly '71’s I thought wouldn’t be topped in my lifetime.

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Lars,

Does that mean Katarina Prum was at your tasting . . . ?

NOW I’m jealous! [wink.gif]

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I went with 2001 and I rank 2004 as my next favorite of the decade with its vibrant and bright acidity.

I have barely tasted anything post 2007 so I can not make an educated ranking of the newer vintages.

Rob: Ja. Vollenweider and Weiser-Künstler were at Gernot’s tasting, too, as they’re all friends.

by far 2001

Glenn,

Agree, & like 2004 for the same reasons.

I like 2004 as my 3rd place of the run.

Just a bit behind 2001 (more wines with better balance), & a hair ahead of 2007 (I find '04 similar, but with better acidity).

A bit surprised 2004 doesn’t get a little more love than is showing here.

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2001 by some distance, although I must say I am surprised by the lack of love 2002 is getting. To my (rather inexperienced) palate, it is a fantastic vintage with possibly the most balanced and consistent wines in the last decade.

2009 and 2010 look to be shaping up to be fantastic as well, but a bit too young, so jury’s still out.

Paul: Agreed. It’s an overlooked vintage. Some of the best wines that I tasted from Ulli Stein were his 2002s.

As for 2009 and 2010, a lot depends on the commune and grower. It’s really difficult to generalize. For example, Dr. Siemens (Serrig/Saar) tends to have a cooler clime than most other areas, but they had in 2010 higher ripeness levels in their first-rate Herrenberg and Würtzberg than warmer spots in the region. Then, we have to look at when and how the growers harvested and sorted their grapes. Did they de-acidify or not? If so, how did they go about it?

That’s a nice tasting group!

. . . guess I should get out more . . . [wink.gif]

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I don’t understand the hatred for 2003. No, it is not a Kabinett vintage, but I have had some really good Auslesen, some of which could be purchased at very cheap prices, like Christoffel.

Well Howard I actually think the 2003 Christoffel Auslesen are disasters. Can’t stand them. They get a lot of love due to the dirt cheap prices they sahowed up at on the gray market, but I think they were too expensive even at a steep discount.

I do like the Prum and Selbach Auslesen, but little else from the vintage (a couple of Leitz wines).