The regional finals for Baden took place in the old castle in Bad Mergentheim last Thursday. Even if everything appears much better today than I would have expected three months ago, there are few wines with the stature of 2009 - and still fewer true surprises. Laible bests Neuweier in the Riesling duel in Durbach. Further south, it is certainly a vintage in which Pinot Gris outshone Pinot Blanc. As in the 2001 Pinot Noir tasting, Franz Keller continues to improve, but it is in the backwaters of this southern German region where much continues to change. Estates like Danner, Frey, Koch and Michel are making their presence felt - and a host of new estates is making Baden, like Rheinhessen, a hot bed of innovation. Comments