Kabinett

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Kabinett in the German wine classification system is the lowest level of QmP wine, lower in ripeness than Spätlese. These are fully ripened grapes, typically picked in September, and are usually made in a light style. They may be sweet (lieblich), dry (trocken) or off dry (halbtrocken). They are generally not wines that are aged for long (usually not exceeding 10 years). Kabinetts are very “food friendly” and are often enjoyed as a casual dinner wine. Alcoholic content is not allowed to exceed the level of 12.7 %.

The majority of Kabinetts are a Riesling variety though sometimes they are blended with Müller-Thurgau grapes. The absence of the grape such as "Riesling", "Bachus", "Scheurebe" etc. on the wine label, according to German wine law, would indicate that it is most likely a blend.

[edit] Mosel-Kabinetts

Kabinett wines are considered unique in that the cool climate of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region allow the grapes an opportunity to fully ripen but still maintain a very low sugar content. This keeps the alcohol content low (7 to 9%) and the natural ripening often coaxes the slate & mineral flavors of the region’s terroir.

The 2001 vintage is generally considered an outstanding year for German Kabinetts.

The name comes from the locked cabinets in the cellars of the old estates in which the finest wines were kept, as it was originally a term for the very finest German wines.

[edit] Austrian Kabinetts

In the Austrian Wine Hierarchy, Kabinetts must qualify as Qualitatswein (literally-quality wine) and be made from a single wine region utilizing an authorized grape variety (most often a Riesling). It can not be chaptalized (see Chaptalization) and it needs to be tested for typicity, displaying a test number on the label.