Dr. DIRK RICHTER´S 2000 VINTAGE REPORT

Both the blessing and the curse on the 2000 vintage were decided in the month of September, when three times more rain fell than is usual in this month. The blessing was on the late ripening Riesling on steep slate slopes, which survived the continuous downpours. The curse was on the early ripening grape varieties, such as Müller-Thurgau in flat heavy loam vineyards, which became so waterlogged that some growers could not even get into the vineyards to spray the vines against oidium and mildew - and the grapes had to be picked in the rain.

Those Riesling growers who carried out a severe vendange verte in August and took infinite trouble in the vineyards were rewarded with high quality wines. In order to make fine Riesling wines, every vineyard had to be hand-picked a number of times over four weeks to select perfect grapes and to discard rotten bunches. Infinite care had to be taken at the press and with the treatment of the musts in the cellar. 2000 will be remembered as a vintage of poor, fine and superb wines, depending, more than ever, on each individual grower.

Overall in Germany, the quanity was some 15% less than in 1999. In Mosel-Saar-Ruwer it was 25% less. The MAX FERD.RICHTER estate produced about 60 hectolitres per hectare (the equivalent of 40 hectolitres per hectare on flat vineyards) by severe winter pruning and vendange verte. We started picking on 12 October, a little earlier than usual, and finished on 11 November. The Kabinett was the minimum must weight of all our wines! However we shall downgrade heavily in order to offer a wellbalanced selection with about 40% each of Qba and Kabinett and the rest Spätlese, Auslese and above. Our intensely selective picking, with several passes through each vineyard, was rewarded with small quantities of noble rich wines including a Beerenauslese in Graacher Dompropst and even a Trockenbeerenauslese in Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. As in every year, we have prepared our Mülheimer Helenenkloster vineyard for Eiswein - and our house for a threatened major flooding of the Mosel valley again!

The first fully fermented wines show intense, aromatic fruit, rich concentration and the ripe fruit acidity to guarantee longevity. However it is too early to make comparisons with previous vintages. Certainly there are parallels with 1998. Perhaps as far back as the 1967, when we had downpours of rain in September too and yet there was such a successful outcome in the end in our estate - luscious memories!

Riesling is enjoying growing worldwide acclaim. In U.S.A. over the last two years, Riesling, though still a niche market, has become a trend beyond our imagination. New and successful sales in the Australian market prove that the unique character of the noblest German grape enjoys appreciation in a lively and competitve market - but top quality is required! And that is what we have achieved with the 2000 vintage, and that is what we promise for the future as well.

Best regards for a happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year!
Yours sincerely,

Dirk Richter
Mülheim/Mosel, 1st December 2000