Status report by Dirk Würtz, our estate manager - 27 October 2011

...a few grapes in the Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen site have been left on the vine for Eiswein. We’ll just have to wait and see when the first hard frost hits. We need minus 8°C/17.6°F – better yet, -10°C/14°F – for two to three days so that all the little grapes are frozen through and through.

This was one of the longest harvests I’ve ever personally experienced. It lasted nearly eight weeks. Although I had expected a long harvest, I never thought it would last this long. We were among the first to begin and probably also the very last to have continued picking so late. We finished this year’s harvest with absolutely fantastic grapes in the Nussbrunnen site. Precisely the kind of grapes we needed to produce an outstanding dry wine.

Now, everything needs to ferment properly, as has been the case thus far. The first juice has already finished fermentation, and samples of the young wines area very surprising. We have crystal-clear fruit and some wines already show enormous potential. Vintage 2011 will certainly not be bad, but time will tell wheher it’s a truly great vintage. We’ve made some changes during the past two vintages, and this year will be no exception.

 

We’re processing our grapes more gently; keeping cellar techniques to a minimum; and paying more attention to the characteristics of our individual sites. The results of our efforts are already perceptible on the palate. The great challenge that lies ahead is to get these characteristics into the bottle, and to give the wines the time they need. In all, things remain extremely exciting and I’ll continue to keep you posted on the latest developments.

Best regards,

Dirk Würtz