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Wilhelm Weil's report on Germany / Looking back, 2002 will be remembered for its very stormy weather - not only in Germany. Fortunately, the Rheingau was spared from violent storms, downpours and floods. The year will also go down in history as the second warmest since 1860, when weather data was first recorded on a regular basis.
After early and rapid flowering, balanced temperatures and precipitation in July and August in the Rheingau provided ideal growing conditions for the Riesling vines. The summer weather continued into September, with warm days and cool nights, leading to optimal ripening of the harvest.
Unfortunately, there was no repeat of the “Golden October” that we experienced in 2001. This would undoubtedly have allowed the 2002 vintage to qualify as the vintage of the century. However, thanks to the quality preservation measures that we practice in our vineyards, as well as selective harvesting, the variable climatic conditions from mid-October did not negatively affect our overall quality.
As such - even without the benefit of favorable October weather - 2002 is a phenomenal vintage. During the regular harvest period, the exceptionally ripe and healthy harvest yielded top-notch Kabinett and Spätlese qualities: superb dry wines, including a “Premier Cru” from the Gräfenberg site. In due time the grapes began to shrivel and we were able to harvest berries with must weights of up to 200° Oechsle, ensuring a supply of succulent, sweet wines.
During a brief frosty intermezzo in the second week of December, we harvested Eiswein - and thus, for the 14th year in a row, Weingut Robert Weil was able to harvest all possible quality categories, from QbA to Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.
Overall, the high degrees of ripeness and extract, along with the very lively and ripe acidity of the 2002 harvest, resulted in wines rich in fruit and concentrated flavor. The 1976 vintage is the most recent predecessor with average must weights as high as those of 2002. The grape must weights for our dry “Gutswein” (house wine) at the start of the harvest and during the main harvest, for example, varied from 85° to 98° Oechsle.
In 2002, yields averaged 55 hl/ha, a little more than usual.