2000 Riesling Kiedricher Gräfenberg Beerenauslese

This year's collection at Weil is bound to engender controversy. Applying their usual approach of protracted harvest, this estate ended up with some highly unusual wines at the levels of Auslese and above, exceedingly dense but often of a decidedly oxidative cast, and a relative paucity of Kabinett and Spatlese. The wines all possess freakishly high levels of dry extract despite the necessity for very gentle pressing, which encourages Wilhelm Weil in the belief that they will on the whole age well. "I think this is a great vintage for us," he claims, "but its greatness lies completely outside of the usual norms." In addition to the wines canvassed below, there was also an Eiswein, picked January 17, which I did not taste. (Rudi Wiest)