The GGR wines are selectively harvested from our finest parcels of very old, ungrafted vines. They are naturally fermented in the same way as the GGs, but stay for 24 months on the full lees in traditional Fuder casks. They are then held in bottle for a further 36 months before release. This extended maturation brings an extra dimension of finesse and balance to our wines.
Germany experienced an extraordinarily wet and cool year in 2016. The cool, wet weather delayed the flowering and caused it to take longer than usual, which led to very uneven ripening. And without the warm and sunny weather that finally arrived in September, much of it would not have ripened at all. It was the warmest September since weather records were first recorded, in 1876, and it was very dry. The fruit ripened beautifully in September, and we were able to start the harvest on the 4th of October, finishing on November 5. Very good weather continued through October, with only a little bit of rain, so we had a relatively Relaxed pace during the harvest. That was quite helpful because it gave us the time we needed to do the extensive selection that was needed because of the uneven ripening
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