Dr. DIRK RICHTER´S 1998 VINTAGE REPORT

The 1998 harvest will be remembered as "rain, rain and rain again"! Not since 1982 has the harvest been beset with neverending rainfall and a swollen Mosel to contend with. Every mi-nute counted to get the grapes in during the few dry spells.

Picking on our estate started on 22 October with a thorough pre-selection of the grapes on the vines - but this was to be the one dry sunny week of the month. At least this backbreaking task meant that only perfect grapes were left on the vines, and rain cannot do too much harm to the Riesling on the steep slate slopes of the Mosel. Against all expectations and in contrast with the rest of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, our total yield was lower this year than in 1997. But what really surprises the experts is the astonishing quality of this rainy vintage which continues the long series of exceptional vintages going back to 1988. The icing on the cake was our twenty-second Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Eiswein since 1961 picked on 21st November with its 168° Oechsle and acidity of 15 g/l, we find it to be reminiscent of the leg-endary 1983.

The reason behind the extraordinary quality of the 1998 vintage lies in the long growing sea-son. The setting at the end of April was perfect. Thanks to a hot and sunny May the flowering was two weeks earlier than usual. In addition to a lack of rain earlier in the year, the vines had to contend with a cold dry July and "sunburn" during a hot dry August, at the height of which on 11th August the highest temperature ever recorded anywhere in Germany (41,2°C = 106,2°F) was measured in the Brauneberger Juffer vineyard. However, the vines kept their lead in developement during a mediocre September until the rains of October ar-rived - no "Goldener Oktober".

There was an exceptionally long time between the flowering and the vintage and this gave the grapes extra ripeness which concentrated all the aromatic flavours in harmony with the fine fruit-acidity. In spite of the bad weather, all the grape musts from the Max Ferd. Richter estate were of Kabinett right up to Auslese in quality, but as so often in recent vintages, in order to maintain the highest quality standards, we will have to downgrade Kabinett to Qba, Spätlese or Kabinett etc. in order to satisfy our markets. For the first time for many years we gave the musts a long maceration before pressing which has further enhanced the aromatic and mineral concentration. At time of writing, temperature-controlled fermentation is continuing at 12 to 15°C, and the first samples taken from cask are already confirming our predictions of great quality.

In the coming year Max Ferd. Richter is committed to important investments in mechanical systems to reduce the manual work in the steep vineyards. We are seeking to counteract the increased employment costs which are being imposed on us steep vineyard owners in the Mo-sel-Saar-Ruwer by the new federal government in the form of various "lifethreatening" taxes.

Best wishes for a happy Holiday Season, a merry Christmas and a prosperous, successful New Year 1999!

Yours sincerely,


Dr. Dirk Richter