Second place at German Riesling competition
Another pleasant news. Our 2002 Halenberg Auslese trocken, already among the top 10 dry wines of the year selected by "Gault Milau" and "Wein-Plus", has now drawn attention of the magazine "Feinschmecker" and the hotel "Krautkrämer" in Muenster. Our wine came in second at the "Deutscher Rieslingpreis".
We were also delighted to see the third place taken by another Nahe wine (Schweinhardt, Langenlonsheim).
[11.24.2003]

Gault Millau - "Collection of the Year"
Joy was enormous in our house, when Werner and Hanne Schoenleber received two certificates at once during the presentation of the Gault Millau 2004 at Lerbach Castle today. Our 2002 Halenberg Riesling Eiswein Goldkapsel won the title "the best dessert wine of the year" with the highest possible marks of 100 (available at the VDP wine auction 2004). The full marks have been given only four times since 1994 by Gault-Millau and are reserved for absolutely perfect wines. As if that was not yet enough, the whole vintage collection too was highly appreciated and selected as the "Collection of the Year".
After all these acknowledgements, it sounded almost of no great importance, when the chief editor Armin Diel announced that we are now qualified to join the group of five grapes wineries after three sensational vintages in succession. At the moment, only eight wineries are admitted to the circle of elites in Germany!
[11.19.2003]

Harvest completed
Finally: the last grape of the vintage 2003 was pressed today. We can be truly satisfied with the new vintage - as the weather stayed dry throughout the harvest, we were able to bring in grapes in perfect health and even a Trockenbeerenauslese is now quietly bubbling in our cellar.
[11.11.2003]

Five stars in the "Wein-Plus" wine guide
Wine writer Marcus Hofschuster was so pleased with our 2002 vintage that he gave us 5 (out of possible 5) stars and said:
"This overwhelming collection definitely establishes Werner Schoenleber in the small group of the world class wine producers in Germany. [...] The halbtrocken Riesling wines - even the Kabinett with its extreme minerality and complexity - take your breath. The Spätlese beats everything I have ever tasted in this category. [...] This unambiguous and incomparable 'Collection of the Year' puts everything in the shade that I have ever come across in Nahe."
The dry Auslese from Halenberg was given sensational 96 marks, the Eiswein no less than 98!
[11.07.2003]

Auslese Goldkapsel is "Kammerwein des Jahres"
Once again, we are proud to inform you of our great success at the competition "Kammerwein des Jahres" (CCI's wine of the year) held by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Koblenz.
Our 2002 Grauburgunder Spätlese trocken was awarded the second prize in the Nahe region, and 2002 Halenberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel even won the 1st prize in the tasting of sweet Rieslings from the regions Nahe, Middle Rhine, Lower Moselle and Ahr!
[09.26.2003]

2002 Halenberg on sale
At last the vintage 2002 from our top vineyard Halenberg went on sale today.
As already known from the earlier vintages, the 2002s are again very elegant and do show the typical minerality of Halenberg.
The highlights: Riesling Auslese trocken and Riesling Eiswein.
If you would like to check them out personally, why don't you just drop by our winery - you are welcome!
[09.01.2003]

Our wishes have come true
Thanks to all who wished for rain with us! In the last three days, we had rain of 27 mm. The grapes should be grateful as well. So we could banish the fear of widespread water deficiency and can still expect a top vintage!
[08.31.2003]

A sunny day, another sunny day and again a sunny day...
...where on earth has the rain gone? We have been wondering for several weeks now. Yet, there is an old saying: "when the fish is sweating and frowning, when the wine grower is smiling, when the boatman makes a sulky face, then the wine will be good!"
In fact, we can observe at the moment the grapes ripening three to four weeks earlier compared to the last few years!
So, very good conditions so far for excellent wines, nevertheless our grapes do need some water from time to time as well.
In other words: we have at the moment no reason for any complaints. The vineyards are altogether in a very good condition with little symptom of water deficiency observed. That is to say extremely good prerequisites for an excellent vintage. However - the lack of water is gradually getting too much, so that some shower of 20 to 30 mm would surely help our grapes. If we all wish for it together, it might perhaps come true! Upon your next falling star - in case you cannot think of any personal wish - please think of the grapes in Monzingen!
[08.23.2003]

Who on earth still needs Pinot Grigio?
Recently, one of the Munich newspapers read: "Pinot Grigio! You are already tired of it? Then, why don't you try Grauburgunder?" "Both made of the same grape, still... the Germans clearly beat the Latin lovers."
It was an article on the wine tasting that took place in Munich to compare the German Grauburgunders and the Italian Pinot Grigios, judged by five specialists each of the German and Italian sommelier unions.
The results: the best four wines are all Grauburgunder, followed by the best Italian wines.
And the winner is:
Emrich-Schönleber, 2002 Grauburgunder Spätlese trocken!!!
[07.15.2003]

Merciful rain for the young vineyards and great patience for great wines
On the 10th and 11th of April, we planted two more excellent vineyard in the Frühlingsplätzchen (one with Weißburgunder (pinot blanc), the other with Riesling), thus laying the foundations for further potential of creating great wines. A long dry period followed and hindered the quick growth of the young grape vines, but finally a great amount of rain in the last few days filled up the water reserve in the ground clearing way for good growth. We will probably able to enjoy the first wine from these vineyards, God willing, in three years. Yet it will take some more years before the young grape vines have reached the extent of stabilization that would guarantee us constant top quality. Great quality requires time for its development. Let us make the waiting time as enjoyable as possible with some glasses of the good wines from the established vineyards in the Halenberg or the Frühlingsplätzchen, which present themselves in their maturity with true greatness. Incredibly enjoyable at the moment are, for instance, our 2000 Halenberg Spätlese halbtrocken or the 1999 Halenberg Spätlese.
[05.22.2003]

Our expectations fulfilled
The results from some tasting of the new vintage by wine specialists confirmed our own judgement on the 2002 vintage. While the fruity and sweet rieslings are overwhelming as ever, the dry wines now begin to open up with brilliance, which gives us the confidence to declare "Absolutely yes! 2002 is another top vintage, probably even better than the almost legendary 2001!"
Please note: we are just bottling the new vintage so that we can replace the sold out wines with the new vintage in the coming weeks. Various quality wines are already on sale though.
[04.16.2003]

Fantastic rankings in "Wine Spectator"
Now it's official. It was not only the fruity style Kabinett (see 10 February 2003) that has been exceedingly appreciated by the American magazine "Wine Spectator", but also further six(!) wines from 2001 were given ratings between 91 and 97 in the latest issue. The results: our fruity style rieslings from 2001 are now almost sold out. Anyone interested in these wines, must hurry up.
[02.20.2003]

Dry quality wines available soon again
As we have filtered most of the Qualitätswein- and Kabinett-wines, the first 2002 wines in one-litre-bottles will be available for sale at the beginning of Ma rch.spanTspanlang=en-gbhe other Qualitätswein-wines will follow around three weeks later.
[02.19.2003]

Schönleber's Kabinett is the best in "Wine Spectator"
In the latest issue of Wine Spectator, Bruce Sanderson follows his famous colleagues in stating that the year 2001 is an absolutely outstanding vintage. He says the German rieslings from 2001 are "must" for all the wine lovers and those who would love to be one. He also presents the best German moderately priced good value wines and gives our 2001 Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Kabinett the best rating (92 pionts) among the compared wines. Such high points are usually reserved for Spätlese and Auslese!
Bad news: We sold the last bottle of this wine last week. :-(
Good news: The vintage 2002 is going to be at least of the same quality, if not better, according to our judgement :-) and will be on sale around the end of April/beginning of May.
[02.10.2003]

Interim report from the wine cellar
We have been asked many, many times: "What are the 2002 wines going to be like?" We can now at last satisfy your curiosity (for the moment anyway) Although it is too early for a final judgement on the vintage, yet we can already tell so much as:
The fruity wines are the only ones that have been devatted from the yeast in the last few weeks, so that they can be assessed properly. Werner and Frank Schoenleber are both thoroughly satisfied with the outcome - all of these wines are showing perfectly clear and intensive aroma of tropical fruits as well as enormous body.
We are expecting quite a lot from the dry and half-dry wines as well this year. But as they are still "sur lie" (on the fine yeast), it is yet difficult to tell. Even we ourselves are excited to find out, how they develop in the next couple of weeks.
[02.03.2003]

Back in the cellar
After a week of recreation in the Alps, our batteries are freshly recharged. Needless to say that I could not help rushing down to my "babies" in the cellar I had neither seen nor tasted for the whole eight days.
I must say: I am proud of them! - Werner Schoenleber
[01.11.2003]