94 looks terrific. For dessert wines it looks even better than 93 which was a very good year, although 94 was in some ways a difficult year. The general picture is one of extreme ripeness and botrytis levels with very high acidity at the same time, making thrilling wines in the top predicates, including plenty TBAs. Lower predicates are perhaps not quite so exciting in 94. From the Rhine Gunderloch and Weil report high acidity creating some problems in lower predicates. Gunderloch have delayed botteling for this reason, while some of Weils wines went all cloudy from acid cristals. One the other hand things look great for their BAs and TBAs which I have not tasted. Gunderlochs BA has over 200 oechsle, a TBA by anybodys standards. The Nahe had a superb vintage and MSR also produced some classic stuff:
Reinhold Haart (Mosel): These are more pronounced in ther acidity (esp. Piesporter Goldtröpfchen), perfectly balanced (to me anyway) by a touch of sweetness. I tried wines up to Auslese, all of which were still too young, with yeasty smells dominating. They look very promising.
J.J. Prüm (Mosel): no 94 in the tasting, but they are said to be excellent. the 93s were still rather youthful, and the same has to be said about the gorgeous (and terrifyingly expensive) 90 Auslese goldcapsule. An 85 BA from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr was in the tasting, and was as terrific as one would expect. I loved the stuff.
Dr Loosen (Mosel): another excellent collection from Ernst Loosen on all fronts, it seems. A TBA was made which will not be released before next year (and was not in the tasting either). An exciting prospect to look out for.
Karthäuserhof (Ruwer): Very good wines up to Auslese were on the tasting. All had a wonderful elegance, with the Spaet/Ausl. showing still hints of yeast.
Crusius (Nahe): Their best year ever. Exellent wines on all levels (at very reasonable prices). I liked the Schlossbökelheimer Felsenberg Auslese a lot, and the Traiser Rothenfels BA was wonderful, with a distinct aroma of pears. (It's also almost affordable at 60DM for 0.5l) The first TBA ever from the Bastei was made, but Peter Crusius takes most pride in a Rotenfels TBA of epic proportions (both not in the tasting).
Diel (Nahe): Classy wines with trilling acidity. The don't come cheap though. The Aus goldcapsule was terrific. A massive wine, only to be superseeded by a cracking Eiswein.
Dönnhoff (Nahe): The Oberh. Bruecke Aus was my favourite. A great auslese in the top league. (i forgot if it had a goldcapsule or not, I guess it did). A BA from Oberh. Felsenberg was pretty big, while the Oberh. Bruecke Eiswein was almost painful to drink at this embyonic age.
Egon Müller (Saar): His Kabinetts and Spaetleses were not so renowned in recent years, but I found the 94s quite thrilling. The Auslese goldcapsule though was in a different class, racy stuff that will develop for decades (I didn't ask the price ...).
Gelz-Zilliken (Saar): The Saarburger Rausch Aus. goldcapsule was fantastic. My favourite Auslese of the tasting. Georgeous scents of stones and apricot, brilliant acidity. One can only imagine what it will develop into, from such beginnings. A racy BA was also to be tasted, which was more closed but similarly impressive.
Fritz Haag (Mosel): refined wines, that didn't make such a big impression on me. A 93 BA was lovely, but not as powerful as one might have hoped. Perhaps my palate was getting too tired when I got round to them. (The Gault Millau rates his 94 TBA, which was not on the tasting, from the Juffer Sonnenuhr with 19,5/20 as the best German Wine of the 94 vintage.)
Kruger Rumpf (Nahe): Stefan Rumpf dared to show a dry wine on the tasting, and a very good one too. (Münster Pittersberg Spätlese trocken) But even his sweeter styles are almost dry, with a more pronouced fruityness that makes them very compelling.