Spatlese indicates which harvest characteristic?

• A. Early harvest
• B. Mid harvest
• C. Very late harvest
• D. Late harvest

Answer: (D)

Spätlese communicates a late harvest: grapes are picked later than the usual harvest to achieve more ripeness and higher must weight. In German labeling, this term signals that the grapes were allowed to hang longer on the vine, concentrating sugars and flavors. It sits in the Prädikatswein system as later ripeness than a standard harvest but not the very latest category like Auslese. Because of that, Spätlese is best understood as a late harvest designation. The other options describe earlier or non-standard timing and don’t match the meaning of Spätlese.