2010 was a difficult vintage in Mosel. For Daniel Vollenweider the year gave only 1/3 the yield of a normal year. The grapes that
were used in production was full of sugars and full of acidity. We ended up with a little talk about acid-adjustment. Today the only
allowed way of de-acidification in Germany is by removing the acidity. According to Daniel Vollenweider this practice is not exactly
very gentle on the wine and there will be removed more than just the acidity. Before ’71 the normal way of adjusting the acids was
by adding water. A practice that was banned in the ’71 german wine law. Vollenweider said that this would have been a much better
way of adjusting the acids in a vintage like 2010, where the concentration and sugars also was very high. Of course back in the
days before ’71 the water was added to juice from grapes harvested at 60 Oechsle. They added water to tame those raw green acids
and added sugars to increase the oechsle. So there were definitely reasons to ban such a practice. Daniel Vollenweider decided not
to adjust the acids in any of his wines in 2010. So the drier selections are tough wines. But again Daniel Vollenweider shows that
in difficult years he makes some of the very best wines on the Mosel. Some of these truly unique wines reflects the freakish
2010-vintage in outstanding cuvees.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling trocken 2010
AP: 10 11. 12,95% alc/vol. 3 g/L residual sugars and a whooping 9,2 g/L of acid. Fruity dry riesling on the nose. Peach, citrus,
flowers. Pure and fine fruit and hints of minerality and spontaneous fermentation adding nice depth. Yes it is dry and acidic in
the mouth. Lots of acidity. Citrusy taste. Some flowers and peach. Nice fruit. Yet it does not shows that much depth, mostly I think
due to the high acids. It is a structured wine that perhaps will show better in a year or two. Long citrusy taste. Raw wine that
will be interesting to try again. Good.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling kabinett 2010
AP 01 11. 7,5% alc/vol. This has more residual sugar than normal due to the very high acids. On the nose this is lightly reductive
right now with hints of sulfur. Also some slate and fruit. Citrusy notes. Fullbodied in the mouth. Sweetish, but it is the very
high acids that marks the mouthfeel. Refreshing style. Flowery and citrusy fruit. Clear and bright. Not that ripe fruit here. High
acids. Long and very citrusy finish. Very good kabinett that also needs a year or five in the cellar.
Kröver Steffensberg Riesling spätlese 2010
AP 06 11. 105 g/L residual sugar, 12 g/L acid. Fruitier than the kabinett. Sweet ripe fruits. Clear style. No or little botrytis
showing. Citrusy and flowery hints. Slate. Sweet in the mouth. Again this has more residual sugar than normal for spätlese. But
again it feels slimmer and more acidic. Some ripeness in the fruit. Flowery, citrus, towards exotic fruits. Fine balance with the
very high acids. Very good spätlese from this vintage.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling spätlese 2010
AP 02 11. 118 g/L residual sugars, 12 g/L acid. This shows more depth on the nose. Still flowery and fruity style. Hints of anise,
finer minerality and slate. Fullbodied and slightly bigger spätlese in the mouth with lots of residual sugars. But again the acidity
is even more noticeable. Young flowery fruit. Quite ripe. Citrus notes and exotic fruits. Fine minerality. Better depth. Very high
acids. Long citrusy taste. Some dry-extract on the finish. Great wine.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling auslese 2010
AP 03 11. 8,0% alc/vol. 150 g/L residual sugar, 14,2 g/L acid. Rich and more tropical fruits here. Flowers and botrytis on the nose.
Fine botrytis. Some honey. Rich and sweet wine in the mouth. But again acidic balance. Great structure. Rich and ripe fruits.
Tropical elements. Anise and some minerality. Young and not showing that much depth as of today. But this has all the stuffing. I
think this will be a great auslese with 10 years.
Schimbock Riesling auslese 2010
AP 08 11. 8,5% alc/vol. This is bottled, but will not be released until august 2012. More yellow fruits on the nose. Botrytis.
Slate. It is bigger and riper than the Goldgrube. Fruity and open style. Slate and minerality. Wilder style and hints of spontaneous
fermentation. Typical high acids. The long finish shows some more dry-extract. Great wine and one of the finest Schimbock auslese
Vollenweider has made.
Kröver Steffensberg Riesling auslese 2010
AP 07 11. 195 g/L residual sugar, 16 g/L acid. Sweet and honeyed on the nose. Lots of botrytis. Raisiny hints. Tropical fruits,
citrusd and minerality. Very sweet in the mouth. Huge concentration and again the very high acids makes the wine taste slim. Very
fine and clear botrytis. Great selection. Pure fruity style. Ripe tropical fruits. Lots of citrus-notes and slate. Fine depth. Long
citrusy finish. Refreshing and acidic. Tremendous quality. Must be one of the best wines ever from this vineyard. Great future.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling auslese goldkapsel 2010
AP 04 11. 220 g/L residual sugar, 16 g/L acid. Botrytis, tropical fruits on the nose. Slate. Minerality. Fullbodied and sweet in the
mouth. This seems creamier and acids not so aggressive. Yet they are very high. It makes the rich, ripe and tropical fruit shows
more of its depth. Minerality, slate, clear botrytis-notes. Very fine wine and this is drinking better now. Refreshing finish.
Tremendous quality.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling beerenauslese 2010
AP 09 11. 5,5% alc/vol. 340 g/L residual sugar, 16,5 g/L acid. Great nose with huge intensity. Tropical, citrusy notes. Eiswein-like
more than BA. Fine botrytis-notes. Quite thick in the mouth. The botrytis shows upfront. Rich and ripe fruits. But very clear and
pure style. Transparent and great depth. High and cleansing acids leaving a long and refreshing end. This is a tremendous
beerenauslese, especially for its pure, fine fruit and great structure.
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling trockenbeerenauslese 2010
AP 05 11. 6,0% alc/vol. 480 g/L residual sugar, 18 g/L acid. This shows more botrytis in the intense nose. Raisins and honey. Some
tropical ripe fruits. Thicker and sweeter in the mouth. Huge concentration. Again the botrytis is showing much more than in the BA.
Thick raisiny and sweet fruits. Clear and fine botrytis. Very young as of now. Showing more of its fat and sweet side. Needs time to
open up and show more depth. Very high acids, leaving a refreshing and long taste. Tremendous quality. Something for the cellar.
Needs 20 years.
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Tasting note: Sep-11
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