2000 Riesling Sommerberg

Bernard Schoffit was in the process of finishing a new cave as well as a bottle-storage area that will be air-conditioned so that he can hold back wine for later sale to restaurants "or bottles of Rangen for release ten years later." He added, "but the Americans want the new vintage immediately." Schoffit told me that in 1999, the rain before and during the harvest swelled the grapes and resulted in a loss of concentration. As in 1998, the heat of August and September burned off some of the grapes' acidity. "But 2000 is the equal of '71, and is even better than '90 and '89," Schoffit claimed. "The vintage is especially strong for tokay and gewurztraminer." Around Colmar, where most of Schoffit vines are located, "we were lucky to have been in a position to pick early in 2000, during the second half of September." The harvest of Schoffit's Rangen vines was much later, between October 5 and 26.