2007 in Mosel? The best vintage I have seen so far!

Some of you might have seen that there has been this odd fellow in Luxembourg claiming that 2005 is not the greatest vintage in Mosel, just very good.

Well, now have the time come for mr Critical, me, to claim that 2007 is the best vintage I have experienced from Mosel. I have about fifteen years of experience in drinking Mosel wines, so my experience is extensive but not great.

The auction wines last week convinced me. The 2007s are generally so balanced, harmonic and complex that I have not seen anything like it before. Sometimes they have been a little too green to see that they where aromatically perfectly ripe. However, despite that, they are generally perfectly ripe both in sugar and aromas, with balanced sugar levels and aromas just perfectly developed.

So, if you like me likes balanced, harmonic wines with complex aromas that can develop interestingly in bottle then 2007 will be you best buy ever. 2005 is for those loving sugar, power and low acidity.

Best
Fredrik Svensson, Luxembourg

YES

Yesterday, I had 2007 J.J. Prüm "Wehlener Sonnenuhr" Spätlese. YUM, YUM

Cheers,
Martin

[David M. Bueker]

I like the 2007s a lot, but wish they had a drop more acidity. Of course it will come in time as the sugars back off a bit, but for me the 2007s are too suave with a shortage of verve.

I drank another 2001 over the weekend (not even from the Mosel) that reminded me of the greatness of that year. So far it's still the best for me in my 13 vintages of experience.

When I think of truly great years - as opposed to the biannual vintage of the century claims! - I look at how the middling producers did, and how well (in the case of Germany) the non-auction wines at the kabinett and spatlese levels perform. If the 'lesser' wines and producers are more often than not excellent compared to other vintages, then that's an outstanding vintage in my books.

Is that the case in Germany for 2007? I haven't tasted any 2007s yet, as the BC monopoly is usually a year or two behind in terms of vintages. Is the balance and intensity of these 'lesser' wines in Germany and the Mosel in particular better than average in 2007?

Hmm, there's one 2007 in stock in my local store: Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett. Anybody tried this wine?

I'm a big fan of 2007 so far, but I've only tried a dozen or so, all on low end. Mostly Kab, with a scattering of QbA and Spatlesen.

[David M. Bueker]

Selbach-Oster had a fantastic collection in 2007. Of course I have said that every year for the last 7.

When I think of truly great years..

I don't think about 'truly great' years. I think about the 'vintage character' and the degree to which it pleases me. Along with David, I love the 'regal carriage' of 2001 (as I describe it) and love it when I can find that character.

[David M. Bueker]

I've been searching for an analogy to describe how I feel about the various "great" vintages we have been blessed with in Germany.

For me 2001 is Beethoven 9th
2007 is The Beatles Abbey Road

Both are great, and I love them both (in fact The Beatles are my favorite modern music group - Abbey Road my favorite album of all time), but if I had to take one to an island I would take the Beethoven.

Fredrik - Oh no. Oh sh*T.

Actually, no no no no no, tell me it's not true. The best year in the Mosel you've seen ? Cripes, this is not what I need.

This is a real weak spot for me. We drink more Mosel riesling than anything else. I worship Spatlese above all other white wine especially. Of course, I can't afford to accumulate, store - nor to skip - a great Mosel vintage. Maybe I can afford it yes, but I've managed to put off even buying anything new from the Pfalz and Mosel since the 2005 vintage.

So, please just tell me that it's not another 1990. Yes, there have been a few top notch years since, certainly many that are quite good - but nothing for me offering the same harmony of balance, ripeness and purity. That year was for me just an unbelievable high, coming as it did after the very good '88 and '89. It was great top to bottom, in any manner of consideration. The Saar and Ruwer were unreal good as well. In fact, the JJ Prum Spatleses were the best Spat I've had, bar none before or since. But they are all consumed now. The '90 BAs and TBAs - being off the charts in terms of depth with balance ? Well, consumption is well under way there now too.

But in terms of spatlese, the R Haart and (esp.) F Haag offerings are typically the houses drawing me most strongly lately in top years. My 2001s are certainly calling and there are other very good ones in the cellar as well. But it's the lure of the perfect Spatlese year that is always the attraction for me, I can tell.

Feel...the...undertow...pulling...me...in.

[David M. Bueker]

Jeff - 2007 is not another 1990. It's not another 2001. It's a totally different style of vintage. It's like a fantastic version of 1997. The acidity is softer (but not 2005 or worse yet 2003 soft), and the wines are very fruit forward and flattering. I'm sure it will remain delicious for a long time, but I doubt it will ever have the verve and precision of 1990 or the regal character (thanks Rahsaan) of 2001.

I've been searching for an analogy to describe how I feel about the various "great" vintages we have been blessed with in Germany.

For me 2001 is Beethoven 9th
2007 is The Beatles Abbey Road

So how about 02, 03 (hey, I LOVE some of the better stuff at Spatlese and riper that year), 04, 05 and 06 in between?

Whew. But. Hmmm. It seems a fantastic version of 1997 eh ? That's not a bad thing at all. In fact, that a really good thing !

John S:
That is my view too, with the reservation that in no year everybody can succeed and even top producers can fail in years like 2007.

What Is really impressive is the number of extremely good middle range wines from 2007.

Jeff/ David:
I find, as David, 1990 to be very different to 2007. I was never a big fan of 1990 since for my taste it was a too ripe vintage. 2007 is, as David seems to be heading at, not a ripe year like 2005, 1990, 1995 etc but a year that is delicious.

What lift it above every other vintage that I have seen is the number of really well balanced, interesting, harmonic wines. For my taste, this is true greatness. And this is the reason I wasn't that impressed with 2005. Power and sugar dominated the 2005s, but the 2007s have the strength of the 2005 but they are not over powered, flabby or juicy just plainly extraordinary good generally.

So, I am sorry, you need to check this one out, but maybe there are some positive news among all economic bad ones, prices don't seems to be moving up here!

Best
Fredrik Svensson, Luxembourg

[David M. Bueker]

For what it's worth, I think Fredrik misunderstands 1990. It was not a "too ripe" vintage by anyone's estimation (except perhaps Fredrik). It had very high acid & very good ripeness, but always in balance though more to the zingy/acidic side of Riesling. 1995 was a botrytis year & really has little to do with this discussion.

I find 2007 just a little too soft to be great in my opinion. The wines are easy to drink and delicious. I am sure they will age well, but they are not classic German Riesling in my book.

I really appreciate everyone weighing in on the 2007 Mosel vintage character. From your comments I think I have a quick read on what it comprises (for me) without having tasted a drop. I know what to do.

Some vintages show spectacularly well when young (but receive perhaps mixed reviews with regard to having a heroic concentration or complexity). These vintages can often surprise you just how very good they are. Long down the road they can offer an an extra unforseen dimension, that is, of having a wonderfully-long drinking period at a very high level of satisfaction.

So, that is my seat of the pants guess for the Mosel 2007. It will likely show extremely well for a long time, in a generous style. I'll take a shot that it sounds like a Mosel parallel to what we saw from Bordeaux and CndP in 1985, and perhaps in 1991 from the Northern Rhones. Maybe even 1986 for California Cabs. These all drank unusually well early on and for many, many years beyond. A lot of them are still chugging along now, some still improving. Critics liked these types of years a fair amount. But not many folks forsaw just how good these would be over a long drinking window.

What an egotist, eh ? Passing judgement on an entire vintage with ever tasting it, even predicting where it will go. But this is what I have to do right now. I've no doubt I'd like the wines. 2007 sounds fantastic, but it's a vintage for which I must take a pass. And let that cellar continue to shrink just a bit more, for a bit longer.

Thanks folks.

[David M. Bueker]

You know '85 Bordeaux sounds like an interesting comparison (if one is comparing any kind of wine rather than looking for German vintage parallels). Unfortunately I am a huge fan of '85 Bordeaux.

I've no doubt I'd like the wines. 2007 sounds fantastic, but it's a vintage for which I must take a pass. And let that cellar continue to shrink just a bit more, for a bit longer.

Jeff, you have far more willpower than I do!

Just back from tasting the auction bottlings in Trier and further full range of Estates (including the incredibly good range by Weiser-Künstler in Traben-Trarbach - the Ellergrub Kabinett is as good as it gets in 2007 in my book: finesse, playful side of Prüm, etc.)

Frederik, this sounds like rethoric games, but really there is no such thing as a great vintage: 2007 is a super vintage with, as every vintage its weaknesses: as David said, acidity can be on the soft side and so can be flavours. But then 2001 is less than ideal at many makers especially in the Saar, despite all the ooh's and aaah's in the youth. 1990 has produced many acid wreakages and some great wines (I just need to think to the other worldy Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese or the Oberemmeler Hütte Auslese -4- by von Hövel).

My take so far is that 2007 is an incredibly reduced vintage with loads of apply flavours by the best makers. With the exception of von Hövel who made an outstanding collection through the ranks, there are only good wines and not great Estates. It is probably the most complex vintage in terms of aromatic refinement from the last years but too often than not, boring pear flavours give away the freaksih growing season: a record hanging time is not just a blessing ...

Somehow, I think that 2007 is particularly successful in the Saar and the Ruwer thanks to their cooler climate ... but just by saying that, I am guilty of generalisations myself.

j

Hi Jean,
I also loved the wines from Weiser-Künstler and I bought all the (sweeter) wines they made except the Ellergrub Kabinett, haha. For me the spatleses they made really stood out.
My experience with previous vintages is to limited to put this vintage in historic perspective. Just like Jean I was in Trier to taste the wines and I visited many winemakers (like he probably did also) and for me the overal quality of 2007 is just very high. I especially loved loads of wines in the spatlese range in the Mosel but also the dryer wines in the Nahe have been very succesfull. Since I already bought to many auslese wines of the 2006 vintage the 2007 vintage came at the perfect time for me and really delivered wines in a style that I like.
The Ellergrub kabinett is the second wine this week Jean and I have different oppinions on (other was the versteigerung spatlese of Sankt Urbanshof which I loved) and this shows that everyone searches for something different in a wine. Jean is a much more experienced taster than I am and he probably looks for other things in wine than I do.
From what I have tasted 2007 has been a very succesfull vintage in the middle Mosel and in the Ruwer and the Saar aswell as in the Nahe region. 2005, 2006 and 2007 were all great in the middle Mosel and I can only pray 2008 will be at the same level as these three vintages have been.

The fact I have been to Weiser-Künstler was because Jean adviced me to if I recall correctly and I havent thanked him for that yet so "thanks Jean" is in order.

Hi Felix, Glad you liked the Weiser wines - I know Konstantin from the days he was still winemaker at the neighbouring Immich-Batterieberg Estate and have "followed" through his first attempts at his own wines in 2005. I also tasted the whole range of 2007 at the Estate and liked all the wines on show. The Spätlese bottlings have an open fruit and a balance that is hard to resist. But stylistically and for aging, the Kabinett did it to me: it is not a wine that shines in tastings - it is a little subdued, "thin" but with great precision on the mid-palate. Those are indeed characteristics that I like. Take a bottle next time you are at the Estate and let it develop over a couple of days in the fridge. You will not recognize it.

Concerning the St-Urbanshof, the advise was not on the wine itself (which is delicious and drinking very well), but on its keeping abilities. Past examples of this Spätlese Auction bottlings, all with 8.5%, have not aged well and felt tired after 3-5 years. Also I had recently a bottle of the Estate's Ockfener Bockstein Auslese GK Auction from 2001 and also this one, while clearly good, had lost "the magic".

Hello Jean,
Maybe I will be in Traben soon so I will be sure to pick up some of this kabinett then. I bought the other Kabinett though and I was also really blown away by the quality of the wines, they also are not cheap compared to the big names so it is good to see they also deliver the same quality.
Have you had any experience with the normal wines of Sankt Urbanshof? I bought quite a lot of the Sankt Urbanshof wines. I really liked the Ockfener Bockstein wines from the 2007 vintage. I also bought the 2006 Leiwener Laurentiuslay spatlese 1Lage feinherb, do you think most wines from this estate wont age well or is it only with this lage or is it only with the versteigerung wines?

You seem to be going to the Mosel very often now - caught a bug, hey?

Unfortunately, I haven't tasted the wines you are mentioning from St Urbans-Hof, sorry for that. Bottles from 1998-2004 that I have tasted recently (all classical off-dry / not Feinherb) were good, but not necessarily better than in their youth. A highlight for me remains the Schodener Saarfeilser Marienberg Spätlese 2002: this one is "complexifying" nicely in a slightly "rustic" but very sappy and juicy style.

Maybe David B has more experience points?