2014 Riesling Kabinett

The advantages of Kiedrich’s stone-rich, well-drained and well-ventilated hillsides have been demonstrated time and again in recent Rheingau vintages, as have of course also the advantages of Wilhelm Weil’s scrupulous approach to wine growing and the budget to support them. Weil emphasizes also the importance for 2014 success of his estate’s recent viticultural evolution, with absence of fertilization, greening of the rows, and a generally organic approach all directly conducing to minimization of ignoble rot and to tiny, thick-skinned berries that can resist whatever comes their way. “And there’s another point,” he adds: “Many of our vineyards are very near the woods, which can be a problem in dry years when the trees compete with the vines for water, but is advantageous in a year like 2014.” This year’s dry vineyard-designates received their usual half-day or so of skin contact, and finished alcohols in the dry wines (other than the under-12% Gutsriesling) are all close to 12.5%, even after intentionally allowing them to finish with less residual sugar than usual. Veteran observers will notice that the range of dry and off-dry wines has been further reduced in keeping with current VDP guidelines. Despite the challenges of 2014, Weil was able to harvest a normal aggregate volume, if a much smaller than usual share of residually sweet wines and minimal amounts of B.A. and T.B.A. (Prädikat levels which this estate has now achieved for 27 years running).