Wine Sweetness and Vintage Guide
Understand how acidity changes perceived sweetness, how Champagne dosage works, and how leading reviewers assess Champagne and German wine vintages.
Riesling sweetness and acidity
The Terry Thiese scale describes perceived balance, not residual sugar alone. High acidity can make a wine with measurable sugar taste dry.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -2 | Bone dry; acidity is about three to four times the sugar. |
| -1 | Very dry; acidity is about twice the sugar. |
| 0 | Balanced dry; sweetness and acidity feel equal. |
| +1 | Slightly sweet or fruity. |
| +2 | Clearly sweetish. |
| +3 | Sweet. |
| +4 | Late-harvest dessert style. |
Champagne dosage
Dosage is the sugar added after disgorgement. Residual sugar already in the wine also contributes to the final measurement.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Zero Dosage / Brut Nature | No added dosage; may contain up to 2 g/L residual sugar. |
| Extra Brut | 0–6 g/L. |
| Brut | 0–12 g/L. |
Champagne vintage chart
A star marks a selected best vintage. Empty source cells mean no comparable published regional assessment was available.
| Year | Summary | Robert Parker | Wine Spectator | Richard Juhlin | Wine Searcher | The Finest Bubble | BBR | Wine Sommelier Guild |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Recommended | 92 - Recommended | 90-94 | – | Average | – | – | – |
| 2020 ★ | Top | 94 - Top | – | – | Excellent | 4/5 | 10/10 | 4.5/5 |
| 2019 ★ | Outstanding | 95 - Outstanding | – | – | Good | 5/5 | 9/10 | 4.5/5 |
| 2018 ★ | Legendary | 92 - Outstanding | 93-96 | 5/5 | Legendary | 4/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 |
| 2017 | Irregular | 87 - Irregular | 83 | 2/5 | Good | 1/5 | 8/10 | 1.5/5 |
| 2016 ★ | Outstanding | 94 - Outstanding | 92 | 2/5 | Good | 3/5 | 7/10 | 3.5/5 |
| 2015 | Legendary | 93 - Outstanding | 94 | 4/5 | Legendary | 3/5 | 7/10 | 3.5/5 |
| 2014 | Outstanding | 94 - Outstanding | – | 2/5 | Good | 3.5/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 |
| 2013 | Outstanding | 95 - Outstanding | 94 | 3/5 | Good | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 |
| 2012 ★ | Legendary | 96 - Outstanding | 95 | 4/5 | Legendary | 5/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 |
| 2011 | Average-Excellent | 87 - Av-Excellent | 79 | 2/5 | Poor | 1/5 | 5/10 | 2/5 |
| 2010 | Average-Excellent | 89 - Av-Excellent | 88 | 3/5 | Poor | 2/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 |
| 2009 | Excellent | 92 - Outstanding | 93 | 3/5 | Excellent | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3.5/5 |
| 2008 ★ | Extraordinary | 99 - Extraordinary | 97 | 5/5 | Legendary | 5/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 |
| 2006 | Excellent | 92-94 - Outstanding | 95 | 4.5/5 | Excellent | 4.5/5 | 6/10 | 4/5 |
| 2004 | Excellent | 90 - Outstanding | 89-92 | – | Excellent | 4.5/5 | 6/10 | 3.5/5 |
| 2002 ★ | Outstanding | 95 - Outstanding | 94 | – | Excellent | 5/5 | 8/10 | 5/5 |
| 1996 ★ | Extraordinary | 97 - Extraordinary | 96 | – | Excellent | 5/5 | 7/10 | – |
German wine and Mosel vintage chart
A star marks a selected best vintage. Empty source cells mean no comparable published regional assessment was available.
| Year | Summary | Mosel Fine Wines | Wine Enthusiast - Mosel | Robert Parker - Mosel & Nahe | Wine Spectator - Germany | Wine Searcher - Germany | Jancis Robinson - Germany/Mosel | James Suckling - Germany/Mosel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Assessment pending | Assessment pending | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2024 ★ | Greatness emerging | Greatness emerging | – | – | – | Potentially Legendary | – | Special, producer-dependent |
| 2023 | Contrasting, stunning successes | Contrasting, stunning successes | – | – | – | Good | Celebrated, concerns ahead | – |
| 2022 ★ | Unexpectedly classic | Unexpectedly classic | – | Not rated | 93 | Excellent | Great quality, diverse | Striking gold |
| 2021 ★ | Glorious, classical acidity | Glorious, classical acidity | 98 | 87-96 | 90 | Good | Stunning, electric, thrilling | – |
| 2020 | Filigreed elegance | Filigreed elegance | 97 | 90-94 | 94 | Good | – | – |
| 2019 ★ | Epic, airy intensity | Epic, airy intensity | 98 | 85-95 | 94 | Excellent | – | 100-point vintage |
| 2018 | Ripe, generous, balanced | Ripe, generous, balanced | 93 | 91-96 | – | Excellent | – | – |
| 2017 | Classic, precise, variable | Classic, precise, variable | 93 | 90-94 | – | Good | – | Wonderful surprise |
| 2016 | Ripe, structured, elegant | Ripe, structured, elegant | 93 | 93 | – | Excellent | – | – |
| 2015 ★ | Rich, superbly balanced | Rich, superbly balanced | 96 | 95 | – | Excellent | – | Stellar harvest |
| 2014 | Cool, light, variable | Cool, light, variable | 90 | 78-86 | – | Good | – | – |
| 2013 | Racy, lean, classical | Racy, lean, classical | 89 | 80-89 | – | Good | – | – |
| 2012 | Balanced, elegant, refined | Balanced, elegant, refined | 92 | Not rated | – | Good | – | – |
| 2011 ★ | Ripe, generous, charming | Ripe, generous, charming | 93 | 95 | – | Excellent | – | – |
| 2010 | Bracing acid test | Bracing acid test | 93 | 89 | – | Good | – | – |
| 2009 ★ | Ripe, brilliant success | Ripe, brilliant success | 95 | 95 | – | Excellent | – | – |
| 2008 | Cool, classical, precise | Cool, classical, precise | 90 | 82 | – | Good | – | – |
| 2007 | Elegant, ripe, accessible | Elegant, ripe, accessible | 94 | 92 | – | Excellent | – | – |
| 2006 | Rich, botrytis-affected | Rich, botrytis-affected | 93 | 95 | – | Good | – | – |
| 2005 ★ | Powerful, balanced, enduring | Powerful, balanced, enduring | 96 | 94 | – | Excellent | – | – |
| 2004 | Light, crisp, classical | Light, crisp, classical | 90 | 92 | – | Good | – | – |
| 2003 | Hot, rich, atypical | Hot, rich, atypical | 93 | 91 | 94 | Excellent | – | – |
| 2002 | Delicate, uneven, charming | Delicate, uneven, charming | 91 | 91 | 93 | Good | – | – |
| 2001 ★ | Monumental, classical benchmark | Monumental, classical benchmark | 96 | 91 | 98 | Excellent | – | – |
Open the interactive sweetness and vintage guide
How to choose
- Use the Terry Thiese scale to interpret sweetness and acidity together.
- Use dosage terms to compare Champagne and sparkling-wine sweetness.
- Compare vintage sources by their stated geographic scope rather than treating every rating as identical.
Current bottles
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Gruner Veltliner - Federspiel Leinbenberg 2024
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Alt Scheidt - off-dry (feinherb) 2023 - Qualitatswein
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Alt Scheidt - off-dry (feinherb) 2025 - Qualitatswein
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Tokaj Furmint - 3 Gracia 2023
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Aedes - Etna Bianco - 2024
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Etna Rosato - 2024
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2024 Rotschiefer
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Aedes - Etna Bianco - 2025
I Custodi - 2025 - Etna - 21. Etna Bianco - 750ml - 115 ILS - In stock
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Pistus Etna Rosso DOC 2023
I Custodi - 2023 - Etna - 22. Etna Rosso - 750ml - 119 ILS - In stock
80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello cappuccio
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Pistus Etna Rosso DOC 2024
I Custodi - 2024 - Etna - 22. Etna Rosso - 750ml - 119 ILS - In stock
80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello cappuccio
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Tokaj Furmint - Nyulászó 2024
Balassa - 2024 - Tokaj - Dry - 750ml - 120 ILS - In stock
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ALNUS (Rose) - 2025
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Regions
FAQ
Can Champagne Fairy help choose wine sweetness and vintage guide?
Yes. Contact Champagne Fairy by WhatsApp for current availability, delivery coordination, and a recommendation matched to budget, style, format, and occasion.
Are the bottles on this page always in stock?
The page is generated from the current catalog. Availability can still change quickly, especially for grower Champagne, magnums, older vintages, and rare allocations.
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Yes. Champagne Fairy can help look for birth-year, anniversary-year, wedding-year, bar or bat mitzvah-year, magnum, and other special-format bottles.