1976

[Randy Caparoso]

Frankly, I think you may be short changing yourself by fixating on '76s. If you check with the producers themselves, they're likely to say that among older vintages, the '71s and '75s are superior. They're certainly drinking better than the '76s right now, in spite of their more advanced age. The '80s are generally hit and miss, but among recent yet not current vintages, it's hard to go wrong with good late harvest styles from '95 and '92. '96s and '97s, of course, are perfectly fine; the '98s brighter, and the upcoming '99 is supposed to be extremely good (at least according to sales directer Gunther Hauck of Basserman-Jordan).

Speaking of which, the producer is nearly as important in the Pfalz; especially since the great vineyards around of Deidesheim and Forst are uniformly great in the top years. Bassermann-Jordan is my favorite because the wines are so bright and energetic, although von Buhl and Dr. Burklin Wolf are certainly right behind.