WSET Level 3 Germany Latest 2023 Rated A

WSET Level 3 Germany Latest 2023 Rated A German wine laws and labels PDO catagories: Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein PGI wines: Landwein Without GI: Deutscher Wein German PDO wines 13 delimited regions; varietally labelled ; classified by minimum must weight at harvest Qualitatswein Dry styles for local market GG (Grosses Gewachs) Dry Qualitatswein made from the best vineyards sites; a trademark of the VDP Six Pradikat levels (from the lowest to the highest) Kabinett - dry to medium sweet Spatlese - dry to medium sweet Auslese - dry to sweet Beerenauslese (BA) - sweet Eiswein - sweet Trokenbeerenauslese (TBA) - sweet *Chaptalisation not allowed for Pradikatswein Climate Cool continental but warmer in south baden Summer can be wet, but rainfall declines in autumn; the long cool ripening period gives the grapes time to develop good level of natural sugar while retaining acidity Humidity can contribute to noble rot Large vintage variation and site variation Riesling Ripens late (Oct-Nov) and suitable for late harvest High acidity; Flavours range from delicate and floral to a richer peach character Dry styles labelled as Qualitatsweine Pradikatsweine will have residual sugar Kabinett Most delicate Pradikatsweine Rieslings will be light in body, high acidity, green apple, citrus fruit, balanced with residual sugar Sweeter version 8-9% abv; dryer versions 12% abv Possible to be sweetened after fermentation by adding unfermented grape juice (Sussreserve); not for high-quality wines Best sweet styles are made by stopping fermentation before the yeast has converted all the sugar; better sugar/acid balance Spatlese More concentrated, have a more body and alcohol Riper fruit flavours: citrus and stone fruit Styles can be dry to medium sweet; sweeter than Kabinett due to higher must weight Auslese Highest Pradikat that can be a dry style; broad range of styles Individual bunches of grapes selected for extra ripeness Richer and riper than Spatlese; with noble rot character Beerenauslese (BA) Noble rot typical for these wines but not essential Sweet; low in alcohol Flavours of honey, dried stone fruit, candied peel and flowers Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) Noble rot essential Not essentially made every year and volumes vary The best sweet wine in the world Eisweine Largely unaffected by noble rot, the focus is on varietal purity Best wines achieve a very fine balance between sweetness and acidity Healthy grapes are left on the vine until the water in grape pulp turns into ice. When the grapes are pressed, ice remains in the press and the sugar content of the resulting juice is increased Muller-Thurgau Crossing of Riesling and Madeleine Royale Ripens earlier than Riesling but have less acidity and flavour intensity Can produce attractive floral and fruity wine; rarely of high quality 2nd most widely planted but growth declining Silvaner 3rd most widely planted white grape; mainly found in Rheinhesssen and Franken Less acidity and less fruity than Riesling; may have earthy character Can produce high-quality wines Other white grape varieties Pinot Gris (Praubergunder) Pinot Blanc (Weißburgunder) Black grape varieties Pinot Noir (Spatburgunder) - 3rd most planted grape - thrives in warmer areas, e.g. Pfalz and Baden - relatively lightand fruity; more concentrated style with oak aromas Dornfelder - deeply coloured Others: Portugieser, Trollinger, Schwarzriesling (Meunier) - Range from light and fruity to more intensely flavoured wines with some oak character Viticulture - Slopes Best sites found on steep stony slopes with southerly aspect to maximise heat and sunlight High production costs as all work has to be done by hand Vines are head-pruned, individually staked and the canes tied in at the top to maximise sun exposure and air circulation Sunlight reflected by the river helps grapes ripen and air movement created by flowing water help protect against frosts Mosel: River Mosel and tributaries Saar and Ruwer Whites and Riesling dominate; GG wines must be Riesling Many top quality villages in the Middle Morsel, inclung Piesport, Bernkastel and Wehlen Best vineyards lie near river on very steep slopes facing south; slate soils help trap and radiate heat Rieslings typically are lighter in body, lower in alcohol, higher in acidity; floral and green fruit flavours predominate The best wines from Saar and Ruwer have similar style and qaulity to middle Mosel, with even higher acidity; grapes strggle to ripen in cooler years and are used for sparkling wine Nahe Best vineyards on the bank of the River Nahe, on steep south-facing slopes Riesling most planted; the only permitted variety for GG wines; styles are between Mosel and the fuller bodied wines from Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Pfalz; pronounced acidity, slightly riper fruit character due to warmer climate Rheingau Small but prestigious region Most vineyards have a southerly aspect, situated on the slopes on the north bank of River Rhine (in the west region) and the River Main (in the east region) Protected by Taunus hills to the north West region: - Riesling dominate, and 80% are dry; have a medium to full body and a ripe peach character - Some of the best BA and TBA are made owing to the conditions generated by the Rhine East region: - riper and fuller bodied due to a slightly warmer climate - excellent Spatburgunder GG wines can be Riesling or Spatburgunder Rheinhessen Largest vine-growing region; broad range of black and white grapes White varieties: Muller-Thurgau, Riesling Black varieties: Dornfelder, Portugieser, Spatburgunder GG wines can be Riesling or Spatburgunder Best vineyards on the steep slopes on the west bank of the Rhine; produce some of the fullest-bodied Riesling Pfalz 2nd largest wine-growing region Continuation of Alsace, driest region in Germany, water stress in very warm years White varieties: Riesling (most widely planted), Muller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder (increasing) Black varieties (40%): Dornfelder, Portugieser, Spatburgunder GG wines: Riesling, Weißburgunder, Spatburgunder Best vineyards surround Forst and Deidesheim, often referred to as Mittelhaardt; set on steep slopes to the west of villages, producing ripe, fuller-bodied style of Riesling Baden Warmest and most southerly wine region producing the fullest-bodiedwines with the highest alcohols 1/3 of the plantings concentrated in the areas of Kaiserstuhl and Tuniberg, opposite to Colmer in Alsace Best sites on the south-facing slope of the extinct volcano of Kaiserstuhl, making the most of warmth Reputation for top-quality Spatburgunder (most widely planted) Substantial plants of Muller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder and Riesling Franken White wine dominates, particularly Muller-Thurgau and Silvaner Riesling struggles to ripen well Silvaner - early flowering ripening (susceptible to frost damage), and it planted in the warmest sites Best wine from the south-facing slopes around Wurzburg; dry, rich and eathy; bottled in flask-shaped bocksbeutel GG wines: Silvaner, Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Spatburgunder