SNEAKPREVIEW
VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^® 2021
WIESBADEN

Germanys Top dry wines attract wine critics from all over the world to Wiesbaden

They represent the very top of German wines. Every year on September 1, VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^® (GG's) wines are released for the first time. The highest quality dry wines from the best vineyards classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE^® need time to mature. For this reason, the white wines are given a year to mature before reaching the market. For the red wines, it is even two years later. In an increasingly fast-paced world, it is even more important to give these wines the time they need. Only then do they show their potential - and from that point on for many years beyond. Wines that bear the coveted A logo on the bottle are long-distance runners and can be aged and drunk for decades. Increasingly, some VDP wineries are opting for a "late release" and holding their wines back another one, two or even five years before presenting them to the public.

Every year, shortly before the September 1 deadline, the who's who of the national and international wine world meets at the Wiesbaden Kurhaus. Thus, a small circle of top tasters from wine journalism, the trade and gastronomy have the opportunity to taste the new releases exclusively before anyone else. Exclusive tastings like this are rare. At the VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^® preview, the wines are brought to the tasters' place at a perfect temperature. Assorted according to their origin - so that wines from the same vineyards from different winemakers can be tasted side by side in comparison. The organization by the VDP is a masterpiece: almost 40 refrigerators temper the flights with 430 different wines that are presented in Wiesbaden. 30 waiters look after about 170 tasters from 22 different countries.

The success story and renaissance of high-quality, dry wines began in 2002. 19 years ago, the VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^® were presented for the first time. At that time, 78 wineries showed wines from about 100 sites at an average price of 16 €. Since then, Germany's Grand Crus have established themselves internationally and the name VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^® has become a valuable brand. Some wines are subscribed months in advance, some rare examples from special sites are auctioned. On average, with 612 GG's tested (in 2021), 3000 bottles are produced, at prices that, at around 38 euros on average, are more than 10 times what is spent on a bottle of wine in Germany. In terms of grape varieties, Riesling continues to dominate with 58%, followed by Pinot Noir, which accounts for 21%. This already gives an indication of the ratio, which in terms of GG is ¾ white and ¼ red.

On the international wine floor, trade in German wines is developing positively. Only recently, the London wine exchange Liv-Ex published that German wines are gaining in importance internationally. 30% of VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^® are exported all over the world. While in the past decades noble sweet 100 point wines have pioneered German wine, it is more and more remarkably the dry wines that are following suit and shaping the reputation - and no longer only on the side of the white wines, but also the reds.

Therefore the excitement increases every year. How will the white wines of the 2020 vintage present themselves? How does the much-praised 2019 vintage show itself in the red wine segment?

The 2020 vintage, which is the focus this year, started with abundant rainfall for the VDP winegrowers, so that the water reserves in the soil could be replenished. The very warm, sunny spring, however, led to earlier budding, early vine blossoming and, accordingly, an early harvest. The summer was dry and hot, so that due to the warm temperatures some harvesting teams often started in the morning hours in order to get the grapes into the cellar as cool as possible. All this leads us to expect wines with an extraordinary minerality and acidity, but above all a lot of liveliness.

The year 2019, which dominates the red wines, was marked by midsummer temperatures and record heat in June. The drought left the grapes rather small-berried, but ensured a very aromatic development. Although the harvest was smaller than in average years, the qualitative climatic conditions were on point. The warm days were joined by cool nights, which brought exciting extract and acidity values. The 2019 white wines were already credited with incredible finesse last year, despite the tremendous heat waves and up-and-down weather. So it's expected that this constant variety will also instill a special tension in the red wines.

"In our VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS^®, the idea of origin is taken to the maximum. The wines often come from world-famous sites, show a unique character and, above all, the expertise of those who have been familiar with these vineyards, often for generations," says Steffen Christmann, President of the VDP.

Download press release