The Riesling harvest was as unusual as the entire year of 2020. It was the longest harvest we have ever experienced. This not only because our vineyard area in Lieser has again increased, but because the weather conditions determined the harvest times.
The grapes were beautifully ripe and healthy, which means in the winemaker’s language: weatherproof.
However, we were able to use rainy weather periods very well in the wine cellar for the laborious sorting of the raisins for a Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese. Keeping in mind that 7000 raisins are necessary for one bottle of Tockenbeerenauslese. In 2020 only a small batch will be available with an outstanding Oechsle reading of 220°.
The starting shot for the Riesling harvest was given on September 17th, again a very early beginning and we were able to bring in the last few grapes on October 28th. Overall, 2020 is another great vintage in line with 2018 and 2019. The fermenting juice is already showing very attractive aroma profiles and a dense and complex structure. The grapes of the 2020 vintage were spoiled by the sun, but the wines are not massive at all and show an elegant tension.