Auslese

What Is an Auslese?

Auslese (literally "selection") is the third level in Germany's Prädikatswein system — the country's quality hierarchy for wines made from must meeting minimum natural sugar levels without the addition of sugar (Chaptalization). It designates wines produced from fully ripe, hand-selected grapes with a high natural sugar content. The name derives from the process of selective hand-harvesting: only perfectly ripe grapes are "selected out" (ausgelesen) for use.

Quality Criteria

An Auslese must meet the following minimum requirements:

Minimum Must Weight (in °Oechsle):

• Riesling: 83–88 °Oe (depending on the growing region)
• Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner: 85–90 °Oe
• Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc): 90–95 °Oe
• Trollinger: 90–95 °Oe

These must weights are significantly higher than those required for a Spätlese (76–90 °Oe) and correspond to a potential alcohol content of around 11–13% vol. if all the sugar were fermented out.

Further Requirements:

• Hand-harvesting: Only hand-selected, fully ripe grapes
• Negative selection: Unripe and damaged berries are discarded
• Positive selection: Often only the finest, most ripe berries are chosen
• Noble rot permitted: Botrytis cinerea is allowed and frequently desirable
• No chaptalization: No addition of sugar to increase alcohol

Flavour Profile

Sweet or Dry?

Auslese wines can be made in both sweet and dry styles:

• Traditional Auslese: Usually nobly sweet with 30–80 g/l residual sugar. These wines show lush fruit, honeyed sweetness, and perfect balance through high acidity.
• Dry Auslese: Rare but not unknown. These wines are powerful, alcohol-rich (13–14% vol.) and display enormous concentration and extract. Usually labelled "Auslese trocken" or bottled as a Großes Gewächs (GG — Germany's highest-classified dry wine category).

The majority of Auslese wines are nobly sweet, as the high natural sweetness and aromatic richness are best expressed in this style.

Typical Aromas:

In a Riesling Auslese:

• Ripe yellow fruits: peach, apricot, ripe pear
• Exotic notes: pineapple, mango, passion fruit
• Honey and beeswax (especially with botrytis influence)
• Blossom: jasmine, elderflower, acacia blossom
• Minerality: petrol notes in aged examples

In nobly sweet Auslesen (with Botrytis):

• Candied fruits and dried fruit
• Honey, caramel, orange marmalade
• Spicy notes: saffron, ginger
• Nutty tones with extended ageing

Auslese vs. Spätlese vs. Beerenauslese

| Attribute | Spätlese | Auslese | Beerenauslese | |-----------|----------|---------|---------------| | Must weight (Riesling) | 76–83 °Oe | 83–88 °Oe | 110–128 °Oe | | Sweetness | Off-dry to medium-sweet | Medium-sweet to nobly sweet | Nobly sweet | | Botrytis | Rare | Often present | Usually present | | Harvest timing | Late harvest | Very late harvest | Individual berry selection | | Price | €10–25 | €20–50 | €50–150+ |

Auslese sits between the more approachable Spätlese and the highly concentrated, very sweet Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. It offers the ideal balance of sweetness, acidity, and drinkability.

Origin and Harvest Timing

Auslesen are typically harvested in Germany from late October to early November — considerably later than standard quality wines, but earlier than Beerenauslesen or Eiswein.

The finest Auslesen come from regions with:

• Long, warm autumns: Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz
• Steep south-facing slopes: Maximum sun exposure for high sugar levels
• Proximity to rivers: Morning mists encourage the development of Botrytis (noble rot)

Famous vineyard sites for Auslese:

• Mosel: Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Ürziger Würzgarten
• Rheingau: Rauenthaler Baiken, Erbacher Marcobrunn
• Pfalz: Forster Kirchenstück, Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen
• Nahe: Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle

Ageing Potential

Auslesen are excellent candidates for long ageing. Thanks to their high acidity and natural sugar content, they can comfortably mature for 20–50+ years. During cellaring they develop:

• Petrol notes (characteristic of aged Riesling)
• Honey aromas and beeswax
• Nutty tones (hazelnut, almond)
• Caramel and candied fruits
• Complexity and depth

Auslesen from top vineyard sites and outstanding vintages (e.g. 1959, 1971, 2001, 2015) can age for decades, gaining elegance and complexity along the way.

Food Pairing

Auslesen are versatile companions at the table, particularly well suited to:

Perfect Combinations:

• Foie gras: The classic pairing. The sweetness and acidity of the Auslese cut perfectly through the richness.
• Blue cheese: Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola — the sweetness tames the saltiness of the cheese.
• Fruit-based desserts: Apricot tart, fruit cake, fruit sorbets
• Asian cuisine: Spicy-sweet Thai or Vietnamese dishes
• Pâtés and terrines: The acidity balances the richness

Serving Suggestions:

• Temperature: 8–10°C (not too cold — at very low temperatures aromas are suppressed)
• Glass: A white wine glass with some volume for aromatic development
• Decanting: For older Auslesen (15+ years), decanting can help open up the wine

Price and Availability

Auslesen are more affordable than Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese, but more expensive than Spätlesen:

• Basic Auslese: €15–25 (0.75 l)
• High-quality Auslese from a good site: €30–60
• Top Auslese from a great vintage: €60–150+

Good value for money is found in Auslesen from Rheinhessen, Pfalz, and Nahe. The most celebrated (and expensive) come from the Mosel and Rheingau.

Significance and History

Auslese is one of the oldest Prädikat levels and dates back to the 19th century. The term was first officially defined in the German Wine Law of 1971.

Today, Auslese represents German wine culture at its finest — it demonstrates the ability of German winemakers to produce wines of extraordinary complexity and longevity from fully ripe grapes. Riesling Auslesen from the Mosel in particular are regarded internationally as a benchmark for nobly sweet white wines.