All 2002's except as noted. Rating is similar to Theise's + ratings except he does not use a (-). Prices are approximate. It is clear that the wholesale prices are higher than for the 2001's. The exchange rate and the popularity of the 2001's are probably the main factors.

My preferences are becoming clearer and clearer as I go to more tastings. I definitely don't like any trocken (dry) or halb trocken (half dry). I really favor the Mosel, but do like the best of the other regions. I love the clean fruity nose and the nice acid/sweetness balance. The minerals add a nice complexity, but I don't put much weight on them. The more rieslings that I drink, the more I appreciate the fanatically precise work on the vineyard, the precise picking (down to the grape level on some wines), the old vines and the years and years of wine making experience. It almost makes other wines seem crude and unrefined. I get the same enjoyment of drinking a well crafted German riesling as I do in drinking a well crafted 20-30 year old Bordeaux. I'm sure my increasing criticism of young CA cabs is due to my enjoyment of the finely crafted rieslings.

Selbach-Oster Kabinett $18 -
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Kabinett $19 +
Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Kabinett $16
Christoffel Urgizer Wurtgarten Kabinett $22 ++
Kruger-Rumpf Munsterer Rheinberg Kabinett $17 +
Darting Durkheimer Michelsberg Kabinett $15
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr spatlese* $$28 ++
Reuscher-Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen spatlese $24 +
Hoffman-Simon Piesporter Goldtropfchen spatlese $24
Hoffman-Simon Kowericher Laurentiuslay spatlese $23
Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg spatlese #4 $20 +
Willi Haag Braunberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr spatlese $26 +
Meulenhof Wehlener Sonnenuhr spatlese #4 $18 +
Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten spatlese $27 ++
Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenhur spatlese* Artist label $26
Weingart Bopparder Hamm Feuerlay spatlese $24
(Theise gave this a +++ IIRC; too tart for my taste)
Jost Bacharacher Hahn spatlese $32
(No nose. 2001 was like this too, but blossomed 3 months later)
Kruger-Rumpf Munsterer Dautenpflanzer spatlese $21 +
Schneiger Norheimer Dellchen spatlese $21
Hexamer Meddersheimer Rehingrafenberg spatlese $21
Strub Niersteiner Paterberg spatlese $21 -
(the 2001 was much better)
Wittman spatlese $18 -
Leitz Rudersheimer Magdalenenkreuz spatlese $20 +
Leitz Rudersheimer Berg Rosenck spatlese $35 ++
Leitz Rudersheimer Berg Schlossberg spatlese $36 +
(Theise liked the Schlossberg better)
Spritzer Oesticher Lenchen spatlese #303 $42 +
Muller Forster Ungeheuer spatlese $21
Lingenfelder Grosskarlbacher Osterberg spatlese $21 -
Lingenfelder Grosskarlbacher Osterberg spatlese $21 - (2001)
Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten auslese $22
Von Schleinitz Koberner Weisenberg auslese $27 +
Hoffman-Simon Kowericher Laurentiuslay auslese $28
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg auslese $31
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr auslese $30
Christoffel Urgizer Wurtgarten auslese* $38 ++
Christoffel Erdener Treppchen auslese** $46 ++(+)
Muller Forster Kirchenstuck auslese 500ml $29 - (2001)
Weegmuller Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe auslese 375ml $32 +
(Pineapple and other tropical fruits predominate)
Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Eiswein 375ml $90 ++(+)

Hello GATC:)

Thanks for the information:) I am wondeirng what you will be getting in 2002 after the big tasting. Also, can you tell me more about the Christoffel's 2002 wines and how would you compare them to the 2001? I have read from another forum that the 2002 Christoffel is nothing alike the 2001, and obviously not as good.

Did you have a chance to try any of the 2002 Donnhoff, Dr.Loosen, JJ Prum or Fritz Haag? I have heard the 2002 Fritz Haag are really good and even better than the 2001. I haven't see much mentioned about the Dr.Loosen and JJ Prum:)

You mentioned that some of the 2002 will be better than 2001 but those will be exception. Can you please also share more of your impression about 2002? What is the strenght and weakness compare to 2001?

Thanks

Sun Hee, good to hear from you. I really enjoyed the 2002 Christoffel's and so did most of the people at the tasting. I have to tell you that I am partial to that style, but since the WA and ST raters of the region and Theise thought that Christoffel had either the best or 2nd best offerings for 2001, I am not alone.

The 2002 Christoffel's (and Mosels in general) are not as concentrated as the 2001's IMO. I've also heard comments to that effect from others. But this is not a knock since there are many that think the 2001's from the Mosel are the best since 1971, the Vintage of the Century. I think the 2002 Mosels are a little more accessable and the nose on some just jumped out at you. These are quite young, many were just bottled, so being that forward tells me that they will mature faster than the 2001's.

I have not tasted the Donnhoff's, Fritz Haag, Dr. Loosen and J.J. Prum yet. Theise carries Donnhoff and they were not at the pre-release tasting. I don't know when Wiest has his pre-release tastings, but it should be soon. But, all wines may not be there even when he has it.

Theise considers that the Donnhoff's are the best of the estates he carries for 2002.

The Rheingau should be really good. Most seem to think that most Rheingau's will be better for 2002 than 2001, but I thought that Rheingau was very disappointing for 2001. I think Leitz will be a good buy for 2002. I only bought a case each of the 2001 Leitz Madgelenekreuz Kabinett, Roseneck spatlese and Schlossberg spatlese. I really enjoyed the 2002 Roseneck. The Schlossberg is also very nice. I only ordered the Roseneck for 2002. I'm sure Weil will be talked about a lot. They make good wine, but along with Egon Muller, they are the most overpriced German riesling IMO.

Pfalz is also supposed to be better for 2002. The problem is that Pfalz and Rheinhessen have "regular" vineyards (i.e flat or rolling hills). They are not like the steep rocky vineyards which really stresses the vines and facilitates the production of great wines. Obviously Muller-Catoir is great and Darting is underrated. BTW when I saw that the distributor still had the 2001 Darting Durkheimer Nonnengarten Auslese (the 2002 was not at the tasting), I bought 3 cases. This is a phenomenal wine IMO. I like it better than most $100+ BA's, TBA's and Eisweins and it is only $25 (it was around $20 when it first came out).

Saar and Ruwer are also supposed to be better in 2002 than 2001. Other than von Schubert (Maximin Grunhauser), which is often great, I don't know much about estates in these regions. I've never been that impressed with Egon Muller Scharzhofberger (the 2001 at Dee Vee Wines was excellent) but I don't think it is worth 3X a comparable Christoffel or 2X a comparable Donnhoff.

In my favorite region, the middle Mosel, it rained as many were picking auslesen. Because of that, I would not automatically assume that the auslesen version of a wine will be better than that spatlesen. Tasting the Selbach-Oster (another highly underrated estate) made me think of this. I ordered the spatlese*, but not the auslesen. For 2001, the Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr auslese** probably had the most raves in eBob.

Even in the regions where 2002 is supposed to be better than 2001 (Rheingau, Saar/Ruwer are most often mentioned), I get the feeling that only a few estates made a better wine. Once the hype of "another great vintage" goes away and people get to taste the wines, we will be able to calibrate this better. I know that for me, since the middle Mosel is my favorite region by far, I have not found or heard of any estate that made better wines for 2002. Friz Haag may be an exception, but they made great wines in 2001, so the bar is pretty high. The 2002 Willi Haag was impressive, so there is that potential.

I forgot to mention that the wines that I ordered from this tasting are in a different section. Go to 100% Wine Related Discussion, Everything about Wines, then 2002 German Wine Must Buy List and go to the my last post there.

GATC,

Did you have a chance to discuss your thoughts with Terry? I would think that THAT would be a fascinating discussion ... was he there at the SFO event?

Steve

Actually, will there be any tasting event in the SF/bay area? Most of what I've heard on has been in LA area..... Can someone let me know if anything will be going on in SF before mid July? Thanks

Terry was not at the SF event. At least I don't think he was. Not the best setting for talking to people anyway.

Sun Hee, I will inform you if I hear of anything. So far the only thing I know of is the next German Wine Society event at the mansion at the end of July - a Dr. Loosen event with Ernst Loosen attending. Mainly 99's from Dr. Loosen. I would think that K&L and The Wine Club will be hosting some inexpensive tastings in a few months, but I doubt that it will be before mid-July. Actually the last one that K&L had was pricey (I believe that it was $50) and they only had a few of the highly rated wines. I'm sure that was because all of the highly rated wines were all sold out as futures.

Actually, this saturday's line-up is tentatively set as follows (2 bottles each):

2001 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermanshohle spatlese
2001 Donnhoff Schlossbokelheimer Krupfergrube spatlese
2001 Christoffel Urziger Urzgarten spatlese
2001 Monchhof Urziger Wurzgarten spatlese
2001 Meulenhoff Erdener Treppchen spatlese
2001 J. J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr spatlese

2001 Christoffel Erdener Treppchen auslese**
2001 Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten auslese**
2001 Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen auslese
2001 Monchhof Erdener Pralat auslese
2001 Monchhof Erdener Treppchen auslese
2001 Darting Durkheimer Nonnengarten rieslaner auslese
If I have the Prum auslese (hopefully not in the storage), I may substitute that just for curiosity.

The reds will include 1991 Dalla Valle, 1970 Mouton, 1970 Leoville Las Cases plus 10+ more wines.

I bought some 2002 Monchhof and Fritz Haag to try. I've only tried the Monchhof Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett and spatlese. I thought the Kabinett was decent and certainly enjoyable, but not as good as the 2001. I did enjoy the spatlese and it is comparable to the 2001. I really enjoyed the 2001 (I bought 5-6 cases), so this is a good endorsement. Since the 2001 is shutting down IMO, I am enjoying the 2002 more at this stage. I've heard that the 2002 Fritz Haag is better than the 2001's, but I could only get 3 each of the spatlesen and auslesen, so I'm afraid to try them.

I've really enjoyed the Leitz's that I've tried and this tends to support the general opinion that the 2002 Rheingau's are generally better than the 2001's.