2022 Riesling Muenchberg Grand Cru

Edgar Crenner, general factotum at Domaine Ostertag, described the 2023 vintage as “nice,” which can be interpreted as “less challenging than the very challenging 2024.” Crenner feels that 2023 was “more complete than 2022, with good maturity and good construction of bitterness. We harvest one or two weeks later than others. We pick according to taste, so you have concentration. You also get less acidity but more bitterness. We are trying to work more with bitterness, and for us, the construction of freshness is with bitterness.” However, we must note that bitterness in French, amertume, is a much more pleasant term, with fewer negative connotations than in English. My tasting notes for these wines are full of the attributes “smooth” and “creamy,” which leads me to conclude that Crenner’s “bitterness” should be understood to mean “texture.”