2024 Germany & Mosel Riesling Vintage

An unseasonably warm February and March accelerated budbreak across all of Germany's winegrowing regions, setting the stage for catastrophe. Frost struck in a devastating wave on 22nd and 23rd April, hitting vineyards across the Mosel, Saar, Ruwer, Nahe, Rhine slopes, Franconia, and Württemberg. Because shoot development was already advanced, damage was exceptionally widespread, reaching even historically frost-safe Grand Cru sites. The weather remained cool with regular rain through early July, raising serious fungal disease pressure from downy mildew and other pathogens. August brought a welcome period of warm, stable conditions that helped ripening recover. September and October were variable, requiring producers to make multiple harvest passes and exercise extreme patience.

• Frost on 22nd and 23rd April was described by many producers as the most brutal they had ever experienced, hitting even historically protected Grosse Lagen sites
• May brought widespread hailstorms in the Mosel, further reducing yields at estates including Joh. Jos. Prüm and Willi Schaefer in Graach and Bernkastel
• Cool and wet conditions from spring through early July created serious downy mildew and fungal disease pressure, demanding intensive vineyard work
• A sunny, stable August put ripening back on track, but sugar accumulation remained slow; must weights in the Mosel typically reached only 70-80 degrees Oechsle

Regional disparities in 2024 were extreme. The Saar and Ruwer were hardest hit: Van Volxem, Florian Lauer, and Von Hövel each reported frost losses of 70-80%, while Dorothee Zilliken at Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken suffered 85% losses including parts of the Saarburger Rausch site. The Middle Mosel escaped somewhat more lightly, with average losses of around 30%, primarily affecting lower-lying plots. The Nahe also suffered severely, with Dönnhoff down approximately 70%. By contrast, the two largest German wine regions, Rheinhessen and Pfalz, largely escaped frost: Pfalz recorded only a 4% decline and Rheinhessen actually saw a 7% increase in harvest volume. Eastern regions fared worst of all, with Saxony and Saale-Unstrut losing 70-73% of their crop.

• Saar and Ruwer were most severely impacted; Egon Müller described his 2024 harvest as 'homeopathic amounts' and declined tasting appointments
• Middle Mosel experienced around 30% average losses, with lower-lying and side-valley parcels suffering the most from frost
• Rheinhessen and Pfalz largely escaped frost, with near-normal or increased harvest volumes, offering better value in 2024
• The Mosel's total expected harvest of approximately 510,000 hectolitres was the smallest in 50 years, confirmed by Moselwein e.V.

Producers who embraced patience and rigorous selection were rewarded handsomely. Multiple harvest passes through every site were common, with Grosse Lagen in some cases picked four times. Erni Loosen of Dr. Loosen acknowledged it was not an easy year, noting that even in a warm vintage, ripeness was not a given. Oliver Haag at Weingut Fritz Haag made multiple passes through each site. Christoph Schaefer at Willi Schaefer noted that sugars barely moved despite a warm August, and the estate made nothing above Spätlese. Klaus-Peter Keller was thrilled with harvest quality but stressed the importance of cutting away unripe bunches and ensuring airflow throughout the variable autumn months. The sweet spots of the vintage are widely agreed to be Kabinett and Grosses Gewächs, with some impressive Spätlesen; noble sweet wines are almost entirely absent.

• Dr. Loosen, Joh. Jos. Prüm, Willi Schaefer, Selbach-Oster, Fritz Haag, and Van Volxem are among the estates confirmed to have navigated the vintage with disciplined harvesting
• Kabinett and Spätlese are the standout categories; Henning Seibert of Moselwein e.V. officially described 2024 as 'a Kabinett and Spätlese year'
• Auslese and higher Prädikat wines are very rare; most estates produced nothing above Spätlese due to the difficulty of achieving botrytis in variable autumn conditions
• Grosses Gewächs (GG) dry Rieslings are another highlight for those estates whose Grosse Lagen escaped the worst of the frost

The 2024 Mosel Rieslings are defined by their sinuous elegance rather than power or opulence. The long, cool growing season and adequate water supply allowed vines to absorb minerals from the slate soils, producing wines with genuine mineral complexity and high extract. Acidity levels are generally higher than in 2023 or 2022, though the acids are well-buffered by extract and small amounts of residual sugar, making even 20 grams per litre of residual sugar taste like 10. Alcohol levels are moderate, with some dry wines clocking in at only 10-11% ABV. Multiple tasters and critics have compared the vintage to 2016 for its fluid, fresh, animated character, and some producers likened it to an old-fashioned 1980s-style season elevated by modern precision farming.

• Typical aromas: citrus (lemon, lime), green apple, white stone fruit, floral notes, and pronounced slate and mineral salinity
• Acidity is elevated versus recent vintages but well-integrated; Vinous notes that 20 g/L residual sugar reads like 10 g/L in the finest 2024 Kabinetts
• Alcohol levels are restrained across the board; dry GG-level wines from estates such as Julian Haart were recorded at around 10% ABV
• Growers and critics alike have compared 2024's character to 2008 and 2016 for charm and freshness, distinct from the riper, more opulent 2023

The 2024 vintage's restrained alcohol, high acidity, and good extract provide a strong aging framework, particularly for the best Kabinett and Spätlese bottlings. Vinous reports that the Kabinetts and Spätlesen are especially stupendous and will be long-lived. For everyday drinking, entry-level Mosel Rieslings and estate-level Kabinetts offer immediate pleasure from 2025 onward. Top Kabinetts from leading estates are best approached from 2026, with peak windows extending into the 2030s and potentially beyond. Spätlese from the finest producers merit patience of 8-15 years. The rarity of higher Prädikat wines in this vintage makes any existing examples genuine collector pieces. The vintage is broadly comparable in aging trajectory to 2016 rather than the more powerful 2019 or 2023.

• Entry-level and estate Kabinett: drink 2025-2032 for primary citrus fruit and mineral freshness
• Top-producer Kabinett (Loosen, Prüm, Schaefer, Fritz Haag): peak window 2026-2038; acidity and extract provide excellent structure
• Spätlese from leading Mosel estates: optimal from 2027-2040; expect honeyed complexity and mineral depth to develop
• Rare Auslese and any higher Prädikat wines declared in 2024: long-term cellaring candidates, best approached from 2030 onward