"Peter Muto" > wrote in message
om...
>I thought I would share my thoughts/overall impression of the overall
> German Riesling vintage for 2003.
> I don't know if anyone else has tasted many 2003's; I'd be interested
> to compare notes.
> A number of producers were in Toronto as part of a rolling tour of the
> 2003 vintage and overall the wines were quite impressive. To me, it
> seems a more successful Kab/Spat/Auslese vintage than BA/TBA. I found
> some of the BA's and most of the TBA's to be somewhat cloying. There
> didn't seem quite enough acidity to balance the huge sugar. Very
> little Botrytis.
> I found many of the Kab's/Spatlese to be quite excellent, if still
> very closed and really not developed being so young. (I haver very
> little experience tasting such young Rieslings)
> Overall, I think the vintage will provide extremely delicious wines to
> drink over the near to mid term depending on producers, but don't seem
> to have the acid and structure to really last as long as other
> vintages.
> Prices upon release should be resonable though.
> I don't have the tasting booklet with me at work but there were about
> 20 producers.
> My favourites included
> Gunderloch (always outstanding and their Nackenheim Rothenberg BA and
> TBA is amazing),
> Johannishof (excellent wines from Kab to BA. Their TBA still had too
> much sulphur to really judge)
> Hans Lang had some 2001s which were beginning to show that beautiful
> Riesling petrol note and their 2003's were solid as well.
> Richter's was very fine, balanced wines.
> Schloss Schonborn were good too.
> St. Urbans-Hof was an odd one; I'm not familiar with their style but I
> got so much of an earthy, profile, with so little fruit, (even from
> the 2002 they offered) that I didn't know what to make of it. The
> winemaker said they use indigenous yeasts which may have something to
> do with but I don't know.
> Studert Prum, not the famous JJ, but good stuff nonetheless
> Dr. Pauly Bergweiler, top notch. beautiful, feminine, well-crafted.
>
> Peter

I managed to taste a lot of the '03s in tank and was not unduly worried
about lack of acidity. I remember I was most impressed with the Loosen
wines. Interestingly the Mosels displayed more acidity than the Rheingaus. I
would not be worried about the keeping qualities of either region.

Ron Lel