German Wine Vintage 2007 – Excellent Qualities and Good Yields

Von: DWI

MAINZ, Germany. Thanks to early bud burst and optimal autumn weather, German wine grapes had an unusually long growing season in 2007. This year’s harvest was relatively unhurried and took place over several weeks. Grape musts and young wines are showing well, with a fabulous wealth of aromas, high ripeness and extract levels, and a well-integrated, harmonious – yet marked – acidity.

Mosel

Due to the northerly location of the region and the significance of the late-ripening varietal Riesling, it comes as no surprise that the Mosel growers are among the last to start harvesting. Müller-Thurgau and Elbling (ancient white variety, cultivated primarily in the upper Mosel, along the border with Luxembourg) were picked in the second half of September; the Riesling harvest began in October and – in estates with holdings in steep sites, where harvesting can only be done by hand – lasted the entire month.

Ideal weather, with mostly dry, sunny autumn days as well as cool (at times cold) nights, made for a stress-free harvest. These weather conditions enabled growers to harvest their crop at an optimal ripeness level. The 2007 wines from the valleys of the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer are expected to be particularly rich in minerals and extracts.

Steep-site Riesling grapes had considerable time to absorb minerals from the slate soil – ultimately reflected in a wine’s aroma and flavor. This year’s growing season (the time between blossoming and harvest) was particularly long: 100 days is the norm; in 2007: 120 to 150 days.

Consumers can expect well-structured wines with straightforward fruit aromas/flavors. Must weights primarily reached Prädikat levels, often 100 degrees Oechsle and above. The region’s nearly 9,000 ha yielded an estimated 925,000 hl and thus, some 85,000 hl more than in 2006.