On my way back from the south before leaving for Asia, I stopped in Burg Layen to have a first look at the 2011 vintage at Schlossgut Diel with Caroline, who has taken over much of the technical side of the estate's management from her father, Armin. As elsewhere, 2011 has much in common with 2009, with higher alcohols, even in secondary sites, and less acidity. As in that vintage, the even kabinetts have late harvest (spätlese) richness. Those sites that ripened the earliest were often at a disadvantage as the grapes began maturing in a poor weather window in late August and early September, causing rot reminiscent of 2006. Interestingly, in some cases the wines harvested later are more refreshing and with better balance. While the normally somewhat more simple Diel de Diel was almost overblown, the Riesling Eierfels, a dry blend of the younger vineyards in the Burgberg and Goldloch sites, had nerve and an almost salty aftertaste. My favourite Riesling at present was the Goldloch Spätlese. It will be interesting later this spring to see how these compare with those wines from the cooler, upper stretches of the Nahe Valley. Comments