2013-05-12: Collection of the Year: Palatinate

Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf

The wines of Bürklin Wolf are basically so not the currently very fashionable, fruit-driven style, which already starts out of the jar one at the first smell. In her quiet, serene way they like to be a bit underrated. Here come here especially the location Rieslings usually via a complexity that strength and depth, as they are not often found in the Palatinate, you only have to take time to deal with these masterpieces. They act in the best sense of the traditional and often take several years to show what is really in them. As goes for the wines of Wolf Bürklin much more at home to bottom to personality than to showy fruit that location differences in almost any other operation will be as clear as here. Our collection of the year in the Palatinate.

To the winery Bürklin-Wolf in Wine Guide
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2013-05-09: Collection of the Year: Rheinhessen

_{Klaus Peter Keller}

Winery Cellar

Been going on for about 20 years, the wines of father and son, Klaus, Klaus Peter Keller are at the top in Germany. There were at first mainly the noble sweet, which caused quite a stir, have evolved under Klaus Peter Keller, the dry Rieslings of the most important wines of the company. About the First Growths and the prestige wine G-Max is the talk of the wine world. However, that is no reason for Klaus Peter Keller to rest on our laurels. Anyone who thought this would be the peak of what is possible already achieved, since the Riesling wines of the vintage should probably rethink 2011. The wines were never here so tight so complex, so uncompromising prepared as this year. This makes them much less engaging in their youth, as it was the Rieslings here in previous years always. You need a lot of time and attention in order to show what is in them, her style now appears more likely to be guided by the great wines of Burgundy as the traditional German Riesling ideal. Everything suggests that you just once more makes a significant step forward here - and again assumes the role model that in its history in Rheinhessen held the estate several times. In the shadow of the other wines Riesling should not be overlooked, however. Scheurebe, especially Sylvaner and Pinot varieties can also be quite excellent. Our collection of the year in Rheinhessen.

The winery cellars in Wine Guide
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2013-04-21: Collection of the Year: Württemberg

Weingut Karl Haidle

Hans Haidle makes little fuss about himself and his wines, which may contribute to the fact that there also other hardly ever do. An error. For while all of Württemberg in wine has developed in recent years to the front, more than any other German wine region in this period, was from the Weingut Karl Haidle a fixture among the top producers in the region. It's amazing, in which bandwidth high-class wines produced here, no matter what color or variety you choose - in their category, the wines of Haidle are always forefront. For years here makes you look no weakness. Our collection of the year in Württemberg.

The Weingut Karl Haidle in Wine Guide
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2013-04-04: The Discovery of the Year

Weingut Stadt Klingenberg - Benedict Baltes

The town of Klingenberg has an almost legendary reputation as home to some of the best Pinot Noir in Germany. In the 13th Century the wine was first mentioned here. Unfortunately, the operation experienced under the leadership of the city in recent years, a period marked by Qualitätsschwankungen.in of the wines with the high expectations that could not be more just, which would be appropriate given the prime locations. That changed abruptly when the property was privatized in 2010 and the coming of the Ahr Benedict Baltes took over the leadership of the 13-acre estate. Even the difficult 2010 vintage is consistently compelling. The wines have a solid construction, tight, clean, pure fruit and an elegance and finesse, as they are otherwise found only in the top companies across the country. Pinot Noir "R" Large greenhouse and are amongst the best red wines of the vintage in Germany. Forget the Portuguese do not we have this quality is not only not ever experienced. Given these benefits, we have no doubt that Benedict Baltes will soon set up a permanent place among the absolute top producers for reds. Our discovery of the year.

To Benedict Baltes in Wine Guide
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2013-04-03: Collection of the Year: Mosel

_{Dr. Carl von Schubert and winemaker Stefan Kraml}

Maximin Grünhaus

Maximin Green House is a bastion of Mosel Riesling, otherwise you can not say that. Or yes, you can specify it at least: the Ruwer Riesling. Hardly any winery in the area makes it so unique, totally committed to their origin Rieslings like this in the Ruwer valley lying gem. This particular kind of herbal spiciness that almost ubiquitous dark berries in the aroma, the tremendous strength despite the slim body, this great breed, there are so only in the Ruwer - and nowhere as pronounced as with the family of Schubert, the old, the 1000 year good results for the past 130 years. The spectacular vineyard Maximin green house, which is divided into two large and a very small single vineyard, produces not only some of the finest classic sweet and sweet Mosel Rieslings, but also first-class, amazingly durable dry specimens, and even with the best dry wines. The latter especially makes the relatively newly introduced "superior" line clear, the voltage handle and breed is achieved by no other Riesling in the area. With all the superlatives must not forget the basis not: even the simple quality wines here have unique origins and amazing character class, not to mention the cabinets entirely. Mediocrity does not exist here. That's more than enough reason for the fifth star -. And the collection of the year on the Moselle

Maximin green house in the wine guide
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2013-04-02: Collection of the Year: South Tyrol

Terlan

The Terlan one of the few companies in South Tyrol, which have been producing for decades unabated First-class wine. Especially the whites vefrügen not only a totally unique character, they frequently also an exceptional development potential, based on how the decades-old bottles from the estate's archives can be proven in an astonishing breadth. The Terlaner put so emphatically demonstrated that a co-operative does not necessarily have to produce sophisticated poor wine for a wide audience. This is just in South course no longer an isolated case, but at this level Terlan has also now in this quality-drenched region little more competition. Even the low cost base wines show here often unusual class. The middle line, in some of the great Pinot Foothill at home offers, often white wine qualities, as they are in the price range of 15 euros can hardly find anywhere else, and certainly not with a comparable maturity potential. At its peak, producing Terlaner white wines that can compete globally with each wine in its category - and the evidence over decades. One can also find wines like Chardonnay "rarity", the first after 10 years ever came on the market and yet so youthful and fresh looks that even he was better still has fitted some bottle age, so he unfold in all its facets may. Our collection of the year in South Tyrol.

The Terlan in Wine Guide
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2013-04-01: Collection of the Year: Middle Rhine

_{Cecilia and Peter Jost}

Toni Jost wine estate

The Toni Jost estate has long been considered a leading producer in the Middle Rhine region, but in the last two decades a number of other emerging wineries vied with this estate for a place at the top, with some success. With the 2011 vintage, however, Peter Jost, who is now assisted by his daughter Cecilia, has presented an impressive collection, stating emphatically that the Jost family, which has been producing wine here for close to 200 years, remains a force to be reckoned with. We can not recall ever having tasted better wines here. The range of dry Rieslings is as impressive as are the outstanding sweet botrytis wines. Certainly, a large part of the success can be attributed to the Bacharacher Hahn site, which has predominantly extremely steep vineyard slopes, and is now almost completely owned by the winery. It also appears to us that Cecilia Jost has brought a breath of fresh wind to the estate, in particular, she has the ambition to once again make the most of the potential of this jewel among the best vinryard sites of Middle Rhine. Our collection of the year in the Middle Rhine region.

The Toni Jost Estate in the Wine Guide
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2013-03-29: Collection of the Year: Franc

_{Sebastian and Paul Fürst}

Rudolf Fürst estate

Paul Fürst was not only one of the first producers in Germany to produce excellent Pinot wines that had been matured in barrique. Even today, one could still describe him as a pioneer. The Pinot Noirs that Fürst produces from his Bürgstädter Centgrafenberg site still show the way for other red wine producers across the country. In recent years, these wines have become not only more elegant, but also deeper and more complex. These wines are on a par with excellent reds from Burgundy, yet they remain quite distinctive representatives of their region of origin. This applies, too, to the Pinots from the Klingenberger Schlossberg site, a spectacular top-class site located high above the town famed for its red wines, where Fürst in 2004 secured for himself some of the best plots, in order to replant them in large parts with the best Burgundian clones. Already today these sites are producing such great wines that one can hardly imagine what will be achievable here once the vines reach their best production age. For a long time already the white Pinot varieties matured in oak have enjoyed a very good reputation, and the Rieslings, too, have become ever more interesting in recent years. Today, the Grand Cru wine from the Centgrafenberg site is one of the best Rieslings in Franken. The devlopment of the Silvaner wines is nothing short of amazing. For a long time, the Centgrafenberg site was considered to be a not particularly suitable site for this variety, the one most closely associated with winemaking traditions in the region, and a variety that produces good but not particularly spectacular wines on the soils of coloured sandstone and clay. The magnificent 2011 wine puts a lie to this assumption: in spite of its relatively low alcohol content, Fürsts 2011 wine has substance, depth and expression, to an extent that many a Grand Cru from the classical Silvaner sites in the Main triangle with their limestone soils cannot produce - not even to mention the elegance. Paul Fürst and his son Sebastian show not the slightest weakness, indeed, they present some of the finest wines in the country. Our range of the year in Franken.

For Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Wine Guide
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2013-03-19: Collection of the Year: Baden

Joachim Heger

Dr. Heger wine estate

Even when Joachim Heger took over the business in 1992, the estate was one of the leading producers in the region - and that, in principle, applies until today. However, there was a time after the turn of the millennium in which the wines did not always live up to expectations, in the light of the importance of the vineyard. The wines were sometimes a bit smooth and showed only limited positive development. In recent years, however, quality was again markedly improved. Across a broad front, the wines became more firm, with more depth and more individual character. Today there few producers in Baden delivering a similarly consistent high quality. This is particularly noticeable in the last two vintages, which presented some challenges to many other producers in Baden, while the Heger wines showed not the slightest weakness. This applies to the consistently impressive whites, headed up, in our opinion, by one of the best Chardonnays in Germany. This applies also and especially for the very tightly knit red Pinot Noirs, which probably have never been as good as they were in the 2010 vintage. Our collection of the year 2013 in Baden.

The Dr. Heger estate in the Wine Guide
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2013-03-18: Collection of the Year: Ahr

_{Ludwig Kreuzberg}

Kreuzberg wine estate

The change in style towards more elegant, firmer wines and a more judicious use of oak has paid off again in the 2010 vintage from Kreuzberg. The vintage is considered to be particularly challenging in the Ahr region, a fact that is hardly noticeable in the Pinot Noir and Pinot Madeleine wines presented. However, as is true of most most producers in the region, no Grand Cru wines were produced, and for this region, the names of famous vineyard sites are not to be found on the labels. Almost across the board, the wines appear cool, firm and show their origin fairly clearly. Even the basic wines still appear quite youthful, and should develop well over the next few years. This is particularly true of the impressive and complex gold capsule versions, as well as of the Devonschiefer "R", which is already surprisingly very approachable and refreshing in spite of its ample body, however this should mature for a few years, and is likely to still be in good shape by the end of the decade. This is our range of the year for 2013 in the Ahr valley

The Kreuzberg estate in the Wine Guide
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2013-03-16: Collections of the Year: Nahe

_{Caroline and Armin Diel}

Schlossgut Diel estate

The screws which are being adjusted here continually may be small, but the effect should not be overlooked. For several years now, the wines of Schlossgut Diel have become increasingly elegant, while at the same time they appear to be gaining in depth and expression. This development can in large part be attributed to the work of Armin Diel's daughter Caroline, who actively became involved in the operation in 2006, and who has since then shared the responsibility for the vineyards and cellar with the long-standing winemaker of the estate, Christoph Friedrich. The dry Rieslings have now developed to a stage far removed from what used to be typical German wines, fruity and usually slightly sweetish. They appear to be much more restrained, more tart and also more serious than one is used to from the majority of local Rieslings, for this reason they might be underestimated at first glance. Their full depth and complexity, their noticeably noble personality will only be revealed if one is willing to engage in the wines. Not only are the dry Rieslings here among the best of their kind in Germany, the sweet and botrytised wines as well as the white and red wines made from the Pinot varieties are regularly excellent. There are few wineries in Germany that can boast such a broad range of similarly reliable top quality wines, certainly there is no match in the Nahe region. Last year's collection provides impressive proof of this: the Pinot Noir "Caroline" and Noir Cuvée "Victor" are clearly the finest wines in their category in the Nahe. The Grand Crus are even among greatest dry Rieslings to have been produced anywhere in Germany in the 2011 vintage. This presentation brings the Schlossgut Diel estate not only the fifth star, but also recognition as the collection of 2013 in the Nahe region.

For Schlossgut Diel in the wine guide
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