Message from Christian Ress November 2012

The harvest is doubtlessly the highlight of the year for us. The reward for a year full of work. This year's harvest was the longest ever in the 140 years of our estate. The crowning glory of this unusual vintage would be an Eiswein harvest. Last year we waited for an early, hard frost to no avail - unfortunately, we weren't able to produce this specialty. This year, we're optimistic and once again, we cordially invite you to join us for a very special occasion. The only prerequisite on your part is flexibility. It's very difficult to plan the timing of an Eiswein harvest. If you're interested, please send an e-mail to our estate manager, Dirk Würtz.

The enormous media response to our 2011 collection knows no end. Positive mentions in the many articles in print and online that have already appeared are now being confirmed in the latest editions of the wine guides that annually hit the market at this time of year. In the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland, we were able to maintain and justify our ascent into the category of three grape clusters last year. As Gault Millau, one of the most important wine guides of the country, summarizes: "...the wines are increasingly individual in character." Wein-Plus, the largest and most important online wine guide, gives our wines top marks. According to its critics, our 2011 Rüdesheim Berg Rottland (96 points) numbers among the most outstanding wines of the country. Praise that fills us with pride and joy. Another standard work in Germany, the Eichelmann guide, acknowledges and appreciates our steady path: "As a rule, the basic wines are firm and mineral...the wines from specific sites, very individual..." Of special note is the assessment of our wines made by Mario Scheuermann, a doyen among German wine critics: "With these wines, (the estate) has moved into a new realm. This is a team that no longer plays in the Rheingau's "Erstes Gewächs" league, but rather in the Champions League, i.e., stands up to the great Grüner Veltliners of the Wachau and the Kamptal and to the Montrachet family in Burgundy."  http://weinreporter.posterous.com/die-ress-kollektion-2011

We're nearly overwhelmed, though, by the countless online reactions and discussions about our wines. So overwhelmed and fascinated that at the end of the year, we're putting together our own "online press book" containing all the various posts. For us as well as our customers, it could possibly be a unique time capsule. It is tremendously rewarding for us to note the strong commitment with which our friends and customers react to our wines, our work, and our philosophy.