German Wines
The 2009's are magical. They possess a crystalline purity with each element in sharp focus, beautifully aromatic ripe fruit which stays mainly in the ripe pear and apple range but tends occasionally towards the tropical, a very ripe but brisk acidity that keeps the wines firmly on the straight and narrow, and a vibrant, sometimes salty minerality to keep their feet on the ground. The absence of temperature spikes kept the fruit flavours clean, and the terroir differences are unmistakeable. Those wines affected by botrytis are perhaps the most surprising of all: botrytis can be heavy and intrusive, but the touch this year was so light that its effect was simply to enhance complexity and flavour. Riesling lovers will not be disappointed.
