For more articles and tasting notes see our guide to Germany 2013.
There are two ways of devising a vintage report: to scan through the daily post, read the short resumés sent by producers seemingly content with their season's results and write about another (almost) vintage of the century, or to ring a few growers, knowing that some of them, after a lengthy and merciless interrogation, will eventually break into tears and start telling you the honest truth. After decades in the business I have identified some of these soft touches, and it is upon their confessions that my...