Vintage Report: Germany 2023

The idea that a series of seemingly small actions amount to a deeply interconnected conclusion is one that anybody in wine will tell you is really the crux of what separates the best producers from the rest. In 2023 we have a vintage through which the undeniable challenges of the season have brought into sharp focus the privilege we have in working with Germany’s greatest estates. It was a roller coaster year that threw everything at growers. Where that challenge was met with the butterfly effect in mind, we have an exciting, incisive German vintage, with a poise and symmetry that only Riesling can deliver. 

The year got off to a wet start, perfect for replenishing the water reserves after the hot and dry 2022 vintage. This was followed by an extremely dry May, June and July. Dönnhoff, for example, could only account for 6 litres of rain (per m2) across the full three months. Warm temperatures and water deep in the subsoil meant explosive Springtime growth, which required tempering to stand any chance of a balanced yield in the end. In the hot days going into July, berry size and bunches appeared small, so thoughts turned to another possible drought year. This proved not to be the case at all, as from around the middle of the month through to August, regular rains brought with them intense mildew pressures – forcing producers into the vineyards throughout the summer, de-leafing and aerating the canopy, often at great expense. At the same time, those same small clusters were swelling and becoming more compact, increasing the risk that berries might split and entertain unwelcome pests and rot – particularly in the warmer, more advanced regions like Rheinhessen and Pfalz. At the end of August, a localised hailstorm hit the village of Hohen-Sulzen in the Rheinhessen, wiping out almost 17ha of Battenfeld-Spanier’s crop. When the weather cleared up in early September, it was apparent that this combination of warm summer temperatures and plentiful rain had accelerated ripening, prompting a fast and early start to the harvest. For most, that meant mid-September for Riesling and diligent work to select only the healthiest grapes in intense picking spells. In the Mosel, some noble botrytis arrived in early October, triggering a treasure hunt in the steep slopes for material good enough to bottle scintillating sweet wines, of which there are a few. They are blessed with a depth and quality we’ve not seen since 2019. In most cases however, good ripeness quickly turned to bad, so being reactive and prepared to ruthlessly sacrifice unhealthy grapes was essential in the pursuit of quality.   

Paradoxically, 2023 was one of the most challenging vintages of recent times, yet when it’s good, it represents Riesling at its purest and most beautiful. I’ve alluded to the symmetry of them already. They have slender, silky, open white and citrus-driven fruits, rarely veering in to tropical, and never opulence, with incisive acidities, fluid, stony mineralities and, crucially, impressive levels of balancing extract. This latter element means that even the highest acidities such as those found in the Saar and Ruwer feel elegant and attractive. This ripe, anchoring, salty-feeling structure and fine grip to the wines in 2023 meant most producers (who produce the spectrum of fruity styles) were able to run the wines a little drier this year; their wild yeasts nourished and energised by all the nutrients that meaningful rainfall brings. For the dry wine focused estates, 2023 is unequivocally a step up on last year, with finer, lacier acidities and more tense, delicious fruits – less phenolic, more intricate, often allied to a fine, herbal reduction. They are better balanced and more welcoming in youth than the 2021s were too – offering pleasure and site-transparency in equal measure, making them hard to resist already. If 2020 and 2022 were years in which a measured, lithe fruitiness and ripe acidity was on the front foot; and 2021 a vintage of austere mineral precision; then 2023 has it all. You will love tasting them.