With bated breath German winemakers and German wine enthusiasts await the annual publication – traditionally, in November – of the well-known German wine guides “Gault Millau WeinGuide” and “Eichelmann Deutschlands Weine.”
This year marks the 14th edition of Gault Millau and the 8th for Eichelmann. Both guides offer a wealth of information about German wine estates and individual wines, and every year the quite subjective evaluations of the authors are the subject of much discussion. Together, the guides comprise some 1,600 pages of reviews by Armin Diel & Joel Payne and Gerhard Eichelmann, who sample thousands of wines during the year preceding publication.
Gault Millau WeinGuide 2007 pays tribute to more than 800 German winemakers, whose achievements are rated with grape clusters (one to five). An additional 260 estates are listed as “recommended” – candidates for “grape cluster status” in coming years. Wines are awarded up to 100 points. There is many a discovery to be made among the some 7,100 wines rated in the new edition, not least among the 150 top-quality wines listed as “bargains.” Fewer than a dozen estates qualified for the top ranking (five grape clusters): Bild (jpg): Gault Millau Deutschland 2007
Weingut Fritz Haag, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Reinhold Haart, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Dr. Loosen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Egon Müller – Scharzhof, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff, Nahe
‘Weingut Emrich-Schönleber, Nahe
Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz, Pfalz
Weingut Robert Weil, Rheingau
Weingut Keller, Rheinhessen.
Theo Haart of Weingut Reinhold Haart in Piesport on the Mosel is the tasting panel’s “winemaker of the year.” According to the editors: “His grandiose Rieslings can blossom into true works of art. With great perseverance he has secured a place among the world’s best winemakers.”
The “rising star of the year” is Rainer Schnaitmann from Fellbach in Württemberg. Gault Millau writes: “In less than a decade, Rainer Schnaitmann, with his red wines, has managed to work his way up into the rank of Germany’s finest producers. A remarkable achievement.”
Hanspeter Ziereisen of Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen-Kirchen, southern Baden, has been named “discovery of the year.” His collection was so convincing that he was awarded two grape clusters straightaway.
The honorary title “collection of the year” goes to to Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm in Bernkatel-Wehlen on the Mosel.
Eichelmann Deutschlands Weine 2007 reviews 944 German estates as well as 9,756 wines. The wines are rated according to the internationally common practice based on 100 points, whereas stars (one to five) are used to indicate the estates’ overall achievement. The following 29 estates rated five stars in this edition:Bild (jpg): Cover Eichelmann Deutschlands Weine 2007
Weingut Meyer-Näkel, Ahr
Weingut Jean Stodden, Ahr
Weingut Bercher, Baden
Weingut Jacob Dujn, Baden
Weingut Dr. Heger, Baden
Weingut Andreas Laible, Baden
Weingut Michel, Baden
Weingut Seeger, Baden
Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken
Weingut Horst Sauer, Franken
Weingut Zehnthof-Luckert, Franken
Weingut Clemens Busch, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Clüsserath-Weiler, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Franz-Josef Eifel, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Grans-Fassian, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Markus Molitor, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Josef Rosch, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Selbach-Oster, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff, Nahe
Weingut Emrich-Schönleber, Nahe
Weingut Knipser, Pfalz
Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht, Pfalz
Weingut Müller-Catoir, Pfalz
Weingut Georg Breuer, Rheingau
Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn, Rheingau
Weingut Josef Leitz, Rheingau
Weingut Robert Weil, Rheingau
Weingut Klaus Keller, Rheinhessen
Weingut Wittmann, Rheinhessen.
Weingut Josef Leitz in Rüdesheim, Rheingau, holds the title for the “best white wine collection of the year” and for the “best red wine collection of the year,” Weingut Bernhard Huber in Malterdingen, Baden. The award for the “best lusciously sweet wine collection of the year” goes to Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken in Saarburg, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. The “rising star of the year” is Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen. Last but not least, Eichelmann’s “wine of the year” is the Riesling Auslese trocken “R” Kallstadter Saumagen from Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht in Kallstadt, Pfalz.
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2007
14th edition, 882 pages
Euro 29,00
ISBN-13 978-3-88472-717-1
ISBN-10 3-88472-717-6
Christian Verlag, München
Gerhard Eichelmann
Eichelmann Deutschlands Weine 2007
766 pages
Euro 29,90
ISBN-3-938839-01-5
Mondo Heidelberg
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