The 2023 season brought Christof Ruof an unusually challenging and unpredictable year in the vineyards, marked by extreme weather shifts that demanded constant adaptability. A mild winter and early dryness were quickly replaced by heavy spring rains, sparking intense mildew pressure before a return to dry conditions stabilised the vines. After a promising flowering, the summer turned erratic with alternating heat, cold spells and repeated episodes of hail, some occurring at night and followed by days of rain. These events weakened the berries, delayed ripening and in many cases caused them to crack.

Towards harvest, scorching temperatures in August and September dehydrated the damaged grapes, causing them to shrivel into raisin-like berries, further reducing potential yields. Although autumn arrived with gentler weather that allowed a careful and demanding harvest, the combined effects of hail, splitting fruit and extreme heat meant that production was significantly lower than in previous years. Many parcels required meticulous, almost surgical sorting. The vintage clearly bears the imprint of a year in which weather and adversity left their mark.