Firstly, we would like to mention that 2021 belongs to the category “small but beautiful.” We are very happy about the intense and energetic “village” and Kabinett wines, which in terms of quantity is the focal point of the vintage. Spätlese wines are very rare, Auslese wines almost non-existent. Our one and only Auslese is a real beauty from Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Due to its tiny quantities, we’ll probably sell it only at the annual auction of the VDP.MOSEL towards the end of this year.

But now to the year itself: The winter was persistent; the spring was wet and cold. We patiently had to wait for warmer temperatures. An unusually cold April led to a three-week delay in the vines’ development. This delay saved our vines from frost damage at the beginning of May. Flowering followed at the end of June, which was common in the past.

In contrast to 2020, the 2021 summer was very wet. On the one hand, the rain was good for the growth of the vines. On the other the weeds and fungal diseases also loved these conditions. This resulted in lots of work in the vineyards, but we were more than happy about our great team, who managed everything perfectly.

Due to the rather cool summer in 2021, the grapes ripened slowly and developed fine aromas and high extracts. Already in the early summer, it was obvious that we had to expect pretty low yields.

On 4 October 2021, we slowly started with the picking. Within many plots, we found an uneven and diverse maturation of the grapes. So, we decided to pre-select all of our vineyards. The remaining grapes could then take advantage of the longer hang time to get perfect ripeness. It was extremely time consuming to pick that selective but also necessary to receive ideal results. Often, we had to select berry by berry. But luckily our team was more than patient. The temperatures during harvest were moderate. This allowed us to do this “fussy” work in a relaxed manner. The classic “Mosel morning fog” welcomed us almost every day. Sometimes it was very persistent until the early afternoon.

The remaining grapes developed marvellously into noble, golden yellow fruit, but not in terms of concentration for an Auslese, with the exception of the very small quantities of Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese.

After four weeks of harvesting, we luckily finished on 29 October 2021.

The result is very promising. As mentioned above, the vintage’s focus is on the clear and bright village and Kabinett wines. Spätlese wines are rarities and Auslese almost non-existent. The young wines are full of energy and intensity, along with multifaceted fruit components, good juiciness, and acidity. Already at this early stage, the young wines have a long finish together with great elegance. A true pleasure and joy!

Weingut Willi Schaefer, February 2022