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For Outstanding German Wines in Australia
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Dessert Wines
Germany is renowned for its dessert wines, by which, for purposes of these notes, we mean what are known generally in Australia as 'stickies'. Such wines come from the German wine classes known as Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and also true Eiswein (ice wines), which as a class does not fit within the hierarchy of the first two. In the case of those first two, they may be Botrytis (noble rot) affected, or not.
Beerenauslese
Beerenauslese ("selected harvest of berries") is a category in the Prädikatswein category of the German wine classifications, and is a class above Auslese. These wines are often, but not necessarily, made from grapes affected by noble rot, i.e. Botrytis.
The grapes for Beerenauslese wines are those that have been individually picked. Many of the finest Beerenauslese wines are made from the Riesling grape, since this retains significant acidity even with the extreme ripeness; and this results in a wine where the sweetness is better balanced and which has great longevity, often continuing to improve for decades. Nonetheless, in areas such as Franken, excellent Beerenauslese are also made from varieties such as Silvaner and Scheurebe. These wines are produced in very small quantities when the weather is suitable for the noble rot to form and only in vineyards with appropriate conditions, so they tend to be very expensive.
Germany is renowned for its dessert wines, by which, for purposes of these notes, we mean what are known generally in Australia as 'stickies'. Such wines come from the German wine classes known as Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and also true Eiswein (ice wines), which as a class does not fit within the hierarchy of the first two. In the case of those first two, they may be Botrytis (noble rot) affected, or not.
Beerenauslese
Beerenauslese ("selected harvest of berries") is a category in the Prädikatswein category of the German wine classifications, and is a class above Auslese. These wines are often, but not necessarily, made from grapes affected by noble rot, i.e. Botrytis.
The grapes for Beerenauslese wines are those that have been individually picked. Many of the finest Beerenauslese wines are made from the Riesling grape, since this retains significant acidity even with the extreme ripeness; and this results in a wine where the sweetness is better balanced and which has great longevity, often continuing to improve for decades. Nonetheless, in areas such as Franken, excellent Beerenauslese are also made from varieties such as Silvaner and Scheurebe. These wines are produced in very small quantities when the weather is suitable for the noble rot to form and only in vineyards with appropriate conditions, so they tend to be very expensive.
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An exception to this is Beerenauslesen produced from more easily ripening grapes such as Ortega, Huxelrebe, or even Rieslaner, which have extremely high sugar content, but less noble rot character and less acidity, and therefore tends to come across as less elegant and usually without the potential to improve with cellaring.
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Trockenbeerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese is the highest category in the Prädikatswein category of the German wine classifications. Trockenbeerenauslese wines are made from individually selected grapes affected by noble rot.
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Trockenbeerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese is the highest category in the Prädikatswein category of the German wine classifications. Trockenbeerenauslese wines are made from individually selected grapes affected by noble rot.
The grapes have been individually picked and are shrivelled with noble rot, often to the point of appearing like a raisin. They are therefore very sweet and have an intensely rich flavor, frequently with a lot of caramel and honey bouquet, rock fruits note such as apricot and distinctive aroma of the noble rot. The finest examples are made from the Riesling grape, as this retains plenty of acidity even at the extreme ripeness. Other grape varieties are also used, such as Scheurebe, Ortega, and Gewürztraminer and many are more prone to noble rot than Riesling since they ripen earlier.
These wines are rare and expensive due to the labor-intensive method of production, and the fact that very specific climatic conditions (which do not necessarily occur every year) are required to create Botrytis affected grapes. Some of the best wines of this type are sold almost exclusively at the various German wine auctions. They are usually golden to deep golden in colour. The body is viscous, very thick and concentrated, and arguably can be aged almost indefinitely due to the preservative powers of its high sugar content.
Although these wines have very high residual sugar levels, the finest specimens are far from being cloying due to very high level of acidity which provides a complete balance.
Eiswein (ice wine)
In Germany, the grapes require a natural, 'hard' freeze in order to be called ice wine. This requires a temperature of at least minus 7 degrees for at least 4 consecutive days to occur sometime after the grapes are ripe. This means that the grapes may hang on the vine for several months following the normal harvest. If a freeze does not come quickly enough, the grapes may rot and the crop will be lost. If the freeze is too severe, no juice can be extracted. The longer the harvest is delayed, the more fruit will be lost to wild animals and dropped fruit. Since the fruit must be pressed while it is still frozen, pickers work mostly at night or very early in the morning, harvesting the grapes within a few hours, while the cellar workers must work in unheated spaces.
The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. With ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards. Typically, ice wine grapes should not be affected by Botrytis - at least not to any great degree. Only healthy grapes keep in good shape until the opportunity arises for an ice wine harvest, which in extreme cases can occur after the New Year, during the northern hemisphere winter. This gives ice wine its characteristic refreshing sweetness balanced by high acidity. When the grapes are free of Botrytis, they are said to come in "clean".
Due to the labour intensive and risky production process, this results in relatively small amounts of wine, and so real ice wines are generally very expensive.
These wines are rare and expensive due to the labor-intensive method of production, and the fact that very specific climatic conditions (which do not necessarily occur every year) are required to create Botrytis affected grapes. Some of the best wines of this type are sold almost exclusively at the various German wine auctions. They are usually golden to deep golden in colour. The body is viscous, very thick and concentrated, and arguably can be aged almost indefinitely due to the preservative powers of its high sugar content.
Although these wines have very high residual sugar levels, the finest specimens are far from being cloying due to very high level of acidity which provides a complete balance.
Eiswein (ice wine)
In Germany, the grapes require a natural, 'hard' freeze in order to be called ice wine. This requires a temperature of at least minus 7 degrees for at least 4 consecutive days to occur sometime after the grapes are ripe. This means that the grapes may hang on the vine for several months following the normal harvest. If a freeze does not come quickly enough, the grapes may rot and the crop will be lost. If the freeze is too severe, no juice can be extracted. The longer the harvest is delayed, the more fruit will be lost to wild animals and dropped fruit. Since the fruit must be pressed while it is still frozen, pickers work mostly at night or very early in the morning, harvesting the grapes within a few hours, while the cellar workers must work in unheated spaces.
The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. With ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards. Typically, ice wine grapes should not be affected by Botrytis - at least not to any great degree. Only healthy grapes keep in good shape until the opportunity arises for an ice wine harvest, which in extreme cases can occur after the New Year, during the northern hemisphere winter. This gives ice wine its characteristic refreshing sweetness balanced by high acidity. When the grapes are free of Botrytis, they are said to come in "clean".
Due to the labour intensive and risky production process, this results in relatively small amounts of wine, and so real ice wines are generally very expensive.
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