I participated in two large Germany 2022 tastings over the last few days and there were about 300 wines of some of the most prestigious producers to taste from. The tastings were hosted by two of the leading wine merchants in Switzerland for German wines. Switzerland has a pretty long tradition of importing German wines and I have tasted and purchased quite a lot of mostly Riesling over the last approximately 25 years (I caught the wine bug early around age 20).
I just wanted to share some brief impressions on the wines. Everybody knows by now that the season was, broadly generalizing, very hot and incredibly dry. There was also some rain in fall that helped with the ripening after the vines had some hydric stress, but rain always has two sides to the coin, but I will come to that later.
So how did the wines show? Let me first point out that I only took short notes, I was very disciplined as always at larger tastings, was spitting everything, drank gallons of water and just took my time to go through all the wines of interest. Also important to mention, that the producers present were some of the most respected and diligent producers, therefore it might only be a partial representation of this challenging vintage and the wines might have shown better than the average producer.
The Positives
- many of the wines showed beautifully ripe fruit
- there was some exotic fruit, but overall not many cooked aromatics
- botrytis didn‘t seem to be an (unwanted) issue at most wineries, at least I didn‘t taste it
- overall the wines showed an immediacy and charme that was sometimes almost irresistible
- the alcohol seemed moderate and there was not much heat recognizable in the wines
- sweetness seemed in check, there were not many wines that seemed out of balance
The Negatives
- overall I thought that many of the wines could use a little more acidity (it is Riesling after all)
- the higher the „Prädikate“, the more recognizable the slight lack of acidity was getting, there were a few beautiful exceptions though
- yields were relatively high, which might be one of the reasons for the balance and moderate alcohol/sugar
- this and the rain before harvest might be the reason that quite a lot of the wines had charming fruit, but lacked the depth of the really great vintages
2022 in Summary
Some very nice Kabinetts, also some very good dry wines and some good GGs with a few really excellent ones, the higher Prädikate seemed pretty difficult and it‘s a vintage to be selective. Maybe also interesting that my purchases were more 2021 than 2022, as in direct comparison the 2021 seemed much more electric, full of energy and tension, while the 2022 seemed a little more charming, immediate, but I doubt that many will have the backbone to age for a very long time. It‘s a vintage that I would try to taste before buying a lot, don‘t believe the hype some of the merchants are trying to put out.
Highlights by Producers
Saar
2022 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz)
I find myself struggling a little with these wines sometimes, but the 2022 were really singing. While some of the wines (particularly the Kabinetts Ockfen Bockstein and Saarburger Rausch) showed some clearly exotic fruit, the GG from the same vineyards showed much more fresh and the Saarburger Rausch GG was actually really excellent. I bought a few bottles, as it beautifully combines the seductive aromatics of the year with good freshness and a certain weightlessness.
2021 and 2022 Van Volxem
A larger operation, but I have to say that there was something very appealing about the wines. They might be more immediate and „easier to drink“ than some of the other producers but I did find them showing pretty well. Also here I would prefer the 2021 over the 2022s though. Gottesfuss and Scharzhofberger P. seemed the most complete to me. Not something I will buy for my cellar but interesting to taste.
2022 Egon Müller
The Scharzhofberger Kabinett and Spätlese were as always very good wines, with the Spätlese a very clear step up from the Kabinett. Hard to justify those prices though from my perspective.
Mosel
2022 Weiser-Künstler
Some very nice Kabinetts with the Ellergrub being the better wine at the moment. As it is the house style built more on tension and minerality than exuberant fruit, really lovely wines. Also the Steffensberg seemed really good while not easy to taste. Really nice Trabacher Riesling Trocken that is selling for a song.
2022 Joh. Jos Prüm
As always very good wines, they seem to do particularly well in warm/hot years. The Himmelreich seemed to do particularly well, as it is a little cooler than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Even the Auslese Himmelreich was very good. Very good showing… what‘s new?
2022 Dr. Loosen
The GGs were very different in expression and seemed to be true to site, while they could have all used a touch more acidity from my perspective. The Erdener Treppchen GG was particularly aromatic. The 2017s Prälat and Wehlener Sonnenuhr GG Reserves were both more masked by the long aging on their lees in large barrels and less expressive of site. More of an acquired taste. The wines with higher RS (2022) seemed to suffer a little from a certain lack of acidity.
2022 Willi Schäfer
Really nice wines, maybe a small step down from the best vintages here. The Domprobst Nr. 5 Spätlese was showing the usual incredible dark, somber, complex aromatic profile, but just a bit more acidity would habe made it epic.
2021 Clemens Busch
This producer showed its 2021 wines instead of the 2022. These 2021 were absolutely on fire and the GGs were some of the very best wines I have tasted out of all of them. The GGs had some of the most vibrant aromatics and almost electric, energizing acidity providing incredible freshness and tension. There was also great mid-palate persistence and just overall it was hard to put my glass down. I bought Marienburg Falkenlay GG and Marienburg Fahrlay GG for my cellar and was also backfilling on some 2020s. The Fahrlay 2020 Reserve was also very good, but I preferred the fresher „regular“ GG. Some of the best wines of both days.
Nahe
2022 Dönnhoff
A very nice set of wines, with the Dellchen GG and the Hermannshöhle GG being my favorites, as usual. These wines seemed to have the stuffing of the best years and very good overall balance, while they will need a few years to come around as always.
2021 and 2022 Emrich-Schönleber
As always great wines from this top-notch producer. What was impressing me the most, were the „entry-level“ wines, and I hate to use this expression here. The 2021 and 2022 Mineral were fantastic expressions of the vintage and of mineral-driven Riesling raised in steel, with the 2022 being more explosive in fruit and the 2021 being more tense and lazer-sharp. Both wines are, as the name suggests more on the mineral than the fruit side of the spectrum and for $22 offer an unbeatable QPR.
2022 Halgans is from younger Halenberg vines and raised in large barrels. There is an extra creaminess that makes it really appealing, but there is also a nice vein of acidity cutting through it. I wouldn‘t hesitate to age both the Mineral and the Halgans for 10+ years, but I am doubtful they will survive in anyone‘s cellar, as they are really irresistible. The Halenberg GG was another level up of course, with the 2022 being more immediate and the 2021 being more serious and age-worthy, but with so much potential. I think that the 2021 Halenberg is up there with the very best ever made, it just will require time.
Rheingau
2021 Peter Jakob Kühn
As always these wines are released one year later. The Doosberg GG and the St. Nikolaus GG were as usual my favorites here.
2022 Robert Weil
I only tasted the dry wines this time. They seemed very nice, with the Kiedricher Gräfenberg GG also lacking a touch of freshness and depth compared to the best vintages from my perspective.
Rheinhessen
2022 Wittmann
As always a benchmark producer with excellent wines, the GGs were some of the best dry wines of the day, with the Morstein being another step up from the others.
2022 Battenfeld-Spanier
Some very good but also incredibly intense wines, almost chewable. My favorite was the GG „am Schwarzen Hergott“.
2021 and 2022 Kai Schätzel
Very geeky stuff, with a very clear leaning towards „natural wine“. The Ölberg GG 2021 was very good.
2021 and 2022 Gunderloch
A very good Rothenberg GG from 2022 and an even better 2021.
2022 Weingut Wechsler
A new producer to me and I really like the wines. They were super aromatic and I especially like the Kirchspiel and the Morstein. Also Morstein 2021 showed really nicely. Good QPR.
Pfalz
2021 Ökonomierat Rebholz:
This producer showed his 2021 instead of 2022. Ganzhorn and especially Kastanienbusch were very good, classic, deep and complex. I also tasted through some Pinot Noir, with mostly 2021 in the mix. Jean Stodden, Fürst, and Becker were showing really well.
2022 Christmann
A nice set of wines, the Idig being the standout from my perspective. Incredibly aromatic and deep.
Franken
2021 and 2022 Rainer Sauer
Very nice Silvaners, especially the L‘s seemed really good. The 2021 had more tension and acidity, the 2022 were a little more aromatic.
Conclusions
Overall, very fascinating tastings, but like I said. 2022 is definitely not the best ever, it‘s more like „middle of the road“ with a few cases of excellence. There is only so much we can do with what mother nature is giving us.
Author: Markus Kumschick, WSET III
September 2023