2013 Germany & Mosel Riesling Vintage

The 2013 growing season in Germany was shaped from the outset by a very cold winter and spring, which delayed budbreak until late April and pushed flowering at Mosel estates to the end of June, up to three weeks later than the 30-year average. Gray skies and cool temperatures persisted through May and early June. A temperamental summer followed, with temperatures oscillating between brief hot spells and cool drizzle. Hailstorms affected some central Mosel villages in late June, cutting yields to zero in certain parcels. Then came the critical blow: heavy, persistent rains arrived in September, day after day, creating the botrytis pressure that defined the vintage. Producers who waited for a brief window of better weather in late October were able to harvest grapes with genuine concentration, while those who rushed to avoid rot brought in underripe, green-tasting fruit.

• Budbreak delayed to late April; flowering not until late June, up to three weeks behind the 30-year average
• Temperamental summer with oscillating heat and drizzle; hail struck central Mosel villages in late June
• Heavy September rains brought widespread botrytis, forcing a nerve-wracking race against rot at harvest
• A brief window of better weather in late October rewarded those who waited with better-ripened, more concentrated fruit

The Mosel, including its Saar and Ruwer tributaries, produced the most talked-about wines of the vintage, though results varied sharply between producers. Despite dismal overall conditions, some Mosel estates bottled Rieslings of a level that many observers would not originally have thought possible. The Saar and Ruwer were in some respects even more severely affected by botrytis than the Middle Mosel, with warm autumn nights preventing the chilling that would have slowed rot. Warmer, well-drained sites with good canopy management showed a clear advantage. Further north in the Rheingau and Nahe, high acidity was a persistent challenge, and quality was highly producer-dependent. The Pfalz and Rheinhessen faced their own difficulties, with October rains particularly damaging in parts of the Pfalz.

• Mosel: exceptional at the very top, but hugely variable; botrytis was the defining challenge
• Saar and Ruwer: severely affected by botrytis, with warm autumn nights accelerating rot; small quantities of Auslese from the best estates
• Rheingau and Nahe: high acidity a persistent theme; quality highly dependent on timing and vineyard management
• Pfalz: October rains cut crops significantly; warmer sites offered some advantage over cooler parcels

Producer selection matters enormously in 2013. Ernie Loosen of Dr. Loosen observed that warm sites with good drainage, thoughtful vineyard management, and restrained yields had significant advantages, and his Erdener Prälat site performed particularly well. Fritz Haag's Brauneberger Kabinett and Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese were noted among the most exciting wines of the vintage. Schloss Lieser, Selbach-Oster with their Zeltinger Sonnenuhr and Zeltinger Schlossberg Spätlesen, and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt also delivered strong results. Egon Müller produced just five wines from the Scharzhofberger, including a Kabinett, a Spätlese and an Auslese, all reflecting the extreme selectivity demanded by the vintage. J.J. Prüm bottled exclusively Auslese and gold-capsule wines due to the pervasive botrytis.

• Dr. Loosen: Erdener Prälat performed particularly well; Red Slate and Blue Slate Kabinett styles produced despite lower quantities
• Fritz Haag: Brauneberger Kabinett and Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese among the most exciting 2013 bottlings tasted
• Selbach-Oster: Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese and Zeltinger Schlossberg Spätlese highlighted as standout selections
• Egon Müller: only five wines produced from Scharzhofberger due to extremely poor yields; each a model of selectivity

High acidity is the defining technical trait of 2013. Jancis Robinson aptly called it 'the vintage high on acid: mouthwatering at its best, caustic at its meanest.' Nik Weis of St. Urbans-Hof explained that the vintage was defined by two strong poles: bracing acidity on one side and the high residual sugar potential delivered by late-season ripeness on the other. Must weights tended to skyrocket quickly once grapes began to ripen, pushing many Middle Mosel estates toward a high proportion of Auslese, often with little to no dry wine produced. Mosel Fine Wines described the vintage as presenting a rare combination of firm acidity and high intensity from elevated dry extract, itself a byproduct of very low yields. Deacidification was a common intervention in 2013, and the finest wines were those where neither this nor chaptalization was required.

• Exceptionally high natural acidity: the defining structural feature across all categories and regions
• Must weights accelerated rapidly in October, pushing many estates toward Auslese and above with little dry wine
• Mosel Fine Wines described a rare combination of firm acidity and high intensity from elevated dry extract due to low yields
• Deacidification was widely used; the best wines required no such intervention and are the most cellarworthy

Quality initially underrated, 2013 has proven that meticulous producers made wines in many cases superior to anything since 2008, with invigorating acidity built for the cellar. At more than a decade old, entry-level Kabinett and trocken styles from top sites are drinking well now, showing developed complexity alongside retained freshness. Mid-range Spätlese selections from the best estates are entering an interesting secondary phase, while premium Auslese and botrytized wines from elite producers such as Egon Müller and J.J. Prüm remain works in progress, their high acidity and botrytis complexity still integrating. The sweet wines, benefiting from riveting acidity, are the most long-lived category and are built for extended cellaring.

• Kabinett and dry styles from top producers: drinking well now, with secondary complexity emerging alongside retained freshness
• Spätlese from best estates: entering an optimal drinking window with mineral and petrol notes developing
• Auslese and botrytized wines from elite estates: still developing; patience rewarded through the 2030s and beyond
• Sweet categories overall: built for long aging, with riveting acidity providing the structure for decades of development

2013 stands as a sharp contrast to the warmer, riper 2012 vintage and is grouped by producers at J.J. Prüm alongside 2004 and 2008 as a relatively cool year in the modern era. The vintage reinforced that site quality and producer diligence matter far more in difficult years than in abundant ones. Vinous noted that the resulting wines are more reminiscent of 2010 or 2008, vintages in which the tip of the iceberg was exceptional but the broad mass of wines was considerably less interesting. The quality gap between disciplined estates and those who misjudged deacidification or harvested too hastily is wider in 2013 than in almost any other recent vintage. For collectors, the lesson is clear: buy from producers who demonstrated ruthless selectivity at harvest.

• 2013 grouped with 2004 and 2008 as a relatively cool vintage in the modern era at estates such as J.J. Prüm
• Quality gap between top and average producers is wider in 2013 than in any abundant recent vintage
• Vinous compared the vintage in character to 2010 and 2008: exceptional at the top, considerably less interesting in the broad mass
• Quality was initially underrated; the best selections have since proved superior to most wines made since 2008