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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.8 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 24 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jayw on 2/14/2018: Very satisfying, perfectly balanced Spatlese. Love the grapefruit and slate notes on the finish. Can't believe I paid $13 for this wine. (1067 views) | | | Tasted by jayw on 11/20/2017: Nose is somewhat muted, but tastes delicious. This is a sweet and fruity spatlese. Not a lot of mineral character, but very refreshing and enjoyable. Plenty of life left in this wine, though I don't know that it will develop any more complexity, as it is fairly simple. I paid $13 for this wine back in the days when Premier Cru delivered on its orders. (1217 views) | | | Tasted by gzim on 2/22/2015 & rated 89 points: In a good place and drinking very wll. Very nice fruits with a touch of spritz and a great dose of acid for a zippy clean finish. wish I had more (2188 views) | | | Tasted by schway on 5/2/2013 & rated 91 points: Drinking well now (3050 views) | | | Tasted by MoTheMan on 12/4/2012 & rated 92 points: I very much agree with JOEABR's tasting notes (8/16/11).
A nice apply, slightly sweet piney nose.
Very good balancee of acidity, tartness, depth, body, minerality, along with flavors of persimmon, peach, and dominant star fruit in a nice integrated mix. Med/full body, smoth texture, long finish!
Long finish . . . 'twas a tad sweeter than I liked, but still very enjoyable.
Had it with an spicy asian pad thai dish. Very good pairing! Mmmm!
SCORE: 92-94 (3303 views) | | | Tasted by jayw on 11/17/2012: Zippy peach, pear and apple, grapefruit, too, with underlying minerality and a touch of anise. Great balance; the structure is there to support the sweetness of the fruit. Sensuous mouthfeel. Outstanding. (2451 views) | | | Tasted by JOEABR on 8/16/2011 & rated 93 points: 4-4-15: Drank with schnitzel and fries at home. Probably not a great as previous not. Some of the freshness seems lost and becoming more secondary at this point in time. Still good. 91
This bottle was a great Spatlese! One of the most balanced Spatlese I've had. This wine was dense with flavor (character), yet so lean and delicate. The acidity and sugar are balanced so well that there is an underlying touch of sweetness, but the wine stays mouthwatering and refreshing. Packed with peach, grapefruit, stone, minerals. A real delight that paired exceptionally well with seared scallops over corn salsa. Probably underrated at 93+ (3254 views) | | | Tasted by schway on 1/20/2011 & rated 88 points: Apples, peach, stones. Not enough acidity to match sweetness. Tasty, but too simple. (2693 views) | | | Tasted by InflationHedge on 5/3/2010 & rated 91 points: Opened a couple of bottles for the first 90 degree day of the spring/summer. Crisp with refreshing effervesence, nice honey an orange citrus notes. I think the weather made the wine? (2376 views) | | | Tasted by beezer6 on 2/10/2010 & rated 84 points: Medium dark gold color. Shows quite sweet fruit as a whole. Yellow apples, sweet petrol, lime zest and light roast nuts.
Palate is sweeter, but not dessert wine "sweet." The fruit is pretty one dimensional while balance is quite off.
There is not enough acidity coming through for my palate. Jill enjoyed it though it's just not my style. (2264 views) | | | Tasted by schway on 1/18/2010 & rated 88 points: honey, stone, lemon, orange peach. unremarkable. not enough complexity and/or acidity to balance the sweetness. (2306 views) | | | Tasted by keepitreal on 11/23/2009 & rated 87 points: Promising nose of orange rind and minerals, but wanting for acid in the finish to balance the sweetness. Delicious wine besides. (2323 views) | | | Tasted by Sladky on 10/24/2009 & rated 72 points: Auction wine. Sorry to say, but was very diluted and undrinkable at this tasting..pass (2430 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 10/24/2009 & rated 89 points: 2009 German Wine Auction Tasting at Dee Vine (Dee Vine Wines, Pier 19, San Francisco): Light lemon yellow color; mineral, lemon oil, petrol nose; very tart, grapefruit, mineral, citrus palate; medium finish (2432 views) | | | Tasted by wcacern on 5/1/2009 & rated 91 points: hints of plastic, brand new action figures, apples, pears, melon, citrus, mineral, and petrol notes. sweet and delicious ripe fruit that is nicely balanced with tart acidity. really nice tasty finish. enjoyed by everyone who tasted it during dinner. (2432 views) | | | Tasted by jkkane on 2/16/2009: Nice but somewhat one-dimensional to me: fruit flavors with little minerality and low acid. (2453 views) | | | Tasted by Sijan on 12/24/2008 & rated 90 points: Enjoyable, classic spatlese (2567 views) | | | Tasted by jasonh on 12/20/2008 & rated 90 points: Had this over 3 nights. It seemed to get better each day. An easy wine to have a glass of. Tasty. I really loved the fruit that overshadowed the sweetness. I didn’t find this cloying at all. (2535 views) | | | Tasted by wcacern on 11/4/2008 & rated 91 points: 8.5%ETOH. great yellow golden color. Aromas of ripe green apples, pears, hints of peach, mango, brand new plastic action figure, petrol, tropical notes of pineapple, citrus, wet crushed rocks. med. bodied with a nice sweetness and mineral note. felt a little flabby when tasted the following day but still delicious. (2402 views) | | | Tasted by incident on 4/3/2008 & rated 89 points: Consistent with previous bottles, but this one is a little more integrated. (2591 views) | | | Tasted by incident on 11/10/2007 & rated 89 points: Clean and clear, light golden straw color. Mellow aromas of mineral, honey, tea, apple and peaches. Light body, medium acidity. Nice fruit in the middle, with a clean finish of minerals. Possibly not as well integrated as it could be. Should improve with some age. (2678 views) | | | Tasted by schway on 5/30/2007 & rated 90 points: Honey, peaches, apples, with some minerals and citrus (grapefruit? orange peel?). Finish is subtle, but persistent. Sweet, but with the necessary crispness. Not particularly complex, but very nice with good structure. Balanced, but maybe not exactly harmonious. Hard to pin-point. Almost like the sweet, tart and bitter components are there in the right proportions, but maybe are not yet integrated. Each is perceived a little too distinctly, thereby making the wine a little less cohesive than it could be. I expect all this will get better with time. (3106 views) |
| By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/24/2009)
(S.A. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese) Light lemon yellow color; mineral, lemon oil, petrol nose; very tart, grapefruit, mineral, citrus palate; medium finish 89 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| S.A. Prüm Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)Riesling Varietal character (Appellation America) | A short history of Riesling (Uncork) | Riesling (wikipedia)Spätlese Wikipedia article on Spätlese.Graacher HimmelreichDer Weinort Graach und seine Weinlagen
Der Weinort Graach, moselabwärts neben Bernkastel-Kues gelegen, wird erstmals im Jahre 975 in einer Urkunde des Trierer Erzbischofs Theoderich (965-977) erwähnt. Der Ortsname "Graach" selbst ist keltischen Ursprungs und weist auf die Besiedelung des Moseltales durch den keltischen Stamm der Treverer im 5. Jahrhundert v.Chr. hin. Daß Graach eine ehemals bedeutende keltische Siedlung gewesen sein muß, belegen Ausgrabungen aus jüngerer Zeit, die auf der Moselhöhe über dem Ort einen keltischen Tempelbezirk freigelegt haben.
English translation below--cleaned-up Google Translate. jht
In Graach, das zu den größten Weinbaugemeinden des mittelalterlichen kurtrierischen Staates zählte, hatte die Geistlichkeit umfangreiche Besitzungen. Nach einer Aufstellung aus dem Jahre 1720 gehörten der Kirche 25% der Gemarkung; zusammen mit einigen ritterschaftlichen Besitzungen waren ein Drittel der Graacher Weinberge in grundherrschaftlichem Besitz. Noch heute zeugen die verbliebenen Weinbergsnamen Himmelreich, Dompropst, Abtsberg und Josefshof von diesen engen Bindungen zu den geistlichen Feudalherren.
Wie überall an der Mosel begann der Aufschwung des qualitätsorientierten, bürgerlichen Weinbaues mit der Säkularisation des Kirchenbesitzes durch den Reichsdeputationshauptschluß 1803, als ein Großteil des geistlichen Besitzes für billigstes Geld veräußert werden mußte. Die Eingliederung des Moselgebietes in das Königreich Preußen brachte wirtschaftliche Blüte und veranlaßte viele, nunmehr zu Grundeigentum gekommene Winzer, ihre Weinberge mit Rieslingreben zu bepflanzen, die bessere Qualitäten bei geringeren Mengenerträgen brachten, als die zuvor verwendeten Kleinbergerreben. Der Ruf der Graacher Weine konnte sehr schnell Anerkennung finden und bereits 1837 schrieb Christian von Stramberg , der Klassiker unter den Weinautoren, Graach produziere einen der edelsten Moselweine.
Der Graacher Weinberg selbst ist Teil des mächtigen, rechts der Mosel gelegenen Schieferhang-Massives, das sich von Bernkastel über Graach und Wehlen bis nach Zeltingen hinstreckt und eine Fülle weltbekannter Rieslinglagen aufweist: den Berncasteler Doctor, die Badstube, Graacher Himmelreich und
Dompropst, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr und Schloßberg. Die Graacher Weinbergsgemarkung weist ca. 135 ha Rebfläche aus und ist ausnahmslos mit Rieslingreben bestockt. Die beiden großen und bedeutendsten Lagen Dompropst und Himmelreich haben davon einen Anteil von 28,5 ha bzw. 87 ha. Die Exposition der 100%igen Steillagen liegt nach Süd-Westen; der Boden ist mittel- bis tiefgründiger steiniger, frisch verwitternder Tonschiefer.
Während der Name "Dompropst" direkten Bezug nimmt auf den Trierer Dompropst, dem ein Drittel des Weinzehnten von Graach zustand, ist der Name "Himmelreich" als hochgelegene und alle Winzerwünsche erfüllende Lagenbezeichnung zu deuten.
Geo-Data:http://www.weinlagen-info.de/?lage_id=1583
The wine making town of Graach and its vineyards
The wine-growing 'Ort' of Graach, situated along the Mosel bank next to and northwest of Bernkastel proper is mentioned for the first time in 975 in a document of Trier Archbishop Theodoric (965-977). The place name "Graach" itself is of Celtic origin and points to the settlement of the Mosel valley by the Celtic tribe of the Treverer in the 5th century BC. The fact that Graach must have been a formerly important Celtic settlement is confirmed by recent excavations, which have uncovered a Celtic temple district on the Mosel.
In Graach, one of the largest winegrowing communities of the medieval Kyrgyz state, the clergy had extensive possessions. According to a list from the year 1720, the church controlled 25% of the territory; Along with some knightly possessions, a third of the Graach vineyards were owned by individuals. The remaining vineyard names of Himmelreich, Dompropst (Domprobst), Abtsberg and Josefshof still bear witness to these close ties to the spiritual feudal lords.
As everywhere in the Mosel, the rise of quality-oriented, small-tenant viticulture began with the secularization of the possession of the church by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss 1803, when a large part of the Church's property had to be sold for what they could bring at auction. The incorporation of the Mosel region into the kingdom of Prussia brought economic prosperity, and led many vintners, who had now become property owners, to plant their vineyards with Riesling vines, which yielded better qualities at lower volumes than the small-scale vines used previously. The Church is also remembered as playing a role in the propagation of Riesling in the best sites along the Mosel--jht.) The reputation of the Graach wines was very quickly recognized and as early as 1837: Christian von Stramberg, the classic among wine authors, wrote, "Graach produced one of the noblest Mosel wines."
The slope on which the Graach vignoble is located is part of the powerful Schieferhang massif, situated on the right side of the Mosel. It stretches from Bernkastel past Graach and Wehlen to Zeltingen and has an abundance of world-famous Riesling sites: Bernkasteler Doctor, Badstube, Graacher Himmelreich und Dompropst (Domprobst more usual spelling these days), Wehlener Sonnenuhr, The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr and Schloßberg. Within the vineyard boundaries of Graach there are about 135 hectares (300 acres) of vineyards and therein is grown only Riesling. The two major and most important locations of Dompropst and Himmelreich have a share of 28.5 ha (64 acres) and 87 ha (196 acres) respectively. The exposure of the 100% steep slopes is to the south-west; The soil is medium to deeply rocky, quick weathering [hard blue clay--jht] slate. [Erosion off the slopes is a serious problem in Graach. jht]
While the name "Dompropst" refers directly to the Trier Dompropst, or Cathedral provost or financial official, which was one third of the best of Graach available to the Church, the name "Himmelreich" ishould also be thought of as a high level vineyard whose quality limits depend only on the skills of the maker.Germany Wines of Germany | The Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) | How to read a German wine label | Geographical Information Down to Single Vineyards
#2014 Vintage Notes:
2014 Vintage Report by Terry Theise
2014 Vintage Report by Wine Spectator
"My gut still tells me the Saar (and to some extent) the Ruwer are better overall in 2014 than the more storied areas of the Mosel proper, but those that spent the requisite time living in their middle-Mosel vineyards made some of the most electric and "feathery" Riesling in a long time (maybe the finest in 20 years - yes, it's true!)" - Jon Rimmerman (Of course only a very short historical memory would call the Saar and Ruwer less 'storied' than the middle Mosel - jht)Mosel Saar RuwerStarting in 2007 the German wine authorities have changed labeling laws to rename all of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines to just "Mosel." This puts this and other database driven sites in a difficult spot, as millions of old wine label reflect the former labeling. As described here, CellarTracker has elected to remain with the old labeling for a number of years to avoid confusion. At some point we will switch over to just "Mosel" but not for a few years at least.
Mosel WeinKulturland (Moselwein e.V.)
Detailed geographical information at weinlagen.info
#2018 Vintage Notes:
"Acid levels are relatively low throughout Riesling-growing Europe (acidification will once again be permitted in Germany – no surprise, as that’s been the case in eight of the last 10 vintages); but because malic acid was baked off or degraded by relentlessly balmy weather means, what acid remains is overwhelmingly of the efficacious tartaric sort. Extract levels are low, as one would anticipate from a growing season during which relatively little moisture was coursing through the vine’s roots and shoots. [...] Everyone is astonished how there could have been so much juice despite the drought." - David Schildknecht
"2018 is a homogenous vintage with a very high general level, below which it seldom falls [...] It leads with blossom. It is perhaps 80% delicious and 20% fascinating." - Terry Theise
#2017 Vintage Notes:
"not so friendly towards light wines" - Milkmansteve
#2016 Vintage Notes: "Overall, 2016 is a charmer of a vintage with much immediate ripe and fruity appeal, not unlike 2011 (in fresher) or 2007 (in lighter). However, 2016 is far from being homogeneous, in fact it is composed of a mosaic of vintages, a result of the freakish growing conditions. Hidden inside the vintage, there are true gems with the balance of 1997, one of the best vintages ever, 2002 or even 2008. The bulk of the harvest was brought in with refreshingly moderate sugar levels. Overall, the Saar and Ruwer produced slightly fresher wines than the Middle Mosel but there are great differences between Estates. The good harvest conditions allowed for some Auslese, little BA and even TBA wines, but some remarkably pure and fruity Eiswein.
In general, 2016 offers the opportunity to acquire Riesling with great immediate ripe appeal: The vintage is a true charmer. At the top, 2016 is one of the most exciting and elegantly balanced vintage since the 1990s and well-worth stocking up for cellaring! In particular, we urge our readers to literally plunge onto the finest Kabinett and Spätlese: These are some of the most exciting and classic we have ever tasted. 2016 looks also set to become a major vintage for dry Riesling, provided the aromatics are not overripe. Lovers of dessert wines will find much to love in 2016 as the Auslese are pure and the Eiswein are gorgeously fruity. They should however also keep an eye open for the remaining stunning noble-sweet wines from 2015 which are still available here and there." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 36, July 2017
#2014 Vintage Notes:
"The heterogeneity of the 2014 vintage carries over onto the aging process. The top wines start to close down, as one would expect from these wines which are a remake of those from the 1990s. The wines affected by gin, saffron and mushroom flavors are still comparatively open and offer a not unattractive Scheurebe styled fruit opulence. We would opt to drink up these lesser wines except for the odd bottle and bury the little treasures of the vintage deep into the cellar." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 30, March 2016
#2013 Vintage Notes:
"The fruity-styled 2013 wines have firmed up significantly since last year and start to show signs of closing down, making the underlying acidity seemingly sharp and out of balance. The better dry wines have come out of their early armor of smoke and tannin but the acidity may prove quite challenging. Quite frankly, except for some smaller bottlings, this is a vintage to lay down and wait." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2012 Vintage Notes:
"The 2012 wines have put on some flesh and go through a 'fattier' phase which is not unlike what the 2007 went through at the same period. However, the zestier acidity cuts through this 'weight' and makes the wines thoroughly enjoyable at this early stage. In particular the fruity Kabinett and Spatlese as well as the off-dry and dry wines offer much pleasure. We expect these wines to close down over the coming year or two. Enjoy while it lasts!" - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2011 Vintage Notes:
"A bit to our surprise, the 2011 wines have shut down and go through a quite difficult and muted phase now. Their low acidity combined with their maturity makes them feel rich, opulent and often bulky, and thus not really enjoyable. We expect that these will need at least a decade to integrate their sweetness and gain in harmony. The only exception is the dry wines, whose low acidity makes for great food companionship." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2010 Vintage Notes:
"After a mellower period in 2012, many 2010 wines have firmed up and developed a stronger smoky side. However, most continue to shine through their fruit opulence, structure and deliciously zesty but ripe acidity. This suits in particular the off-dry bottlings, which have more charm than the legally dry wines. Will these wines close down? Actually, the softening acidity makes us wonder now but it also provides further evidence that these wines will turn out harmonious after all." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2009 Vintage Notes:
"Most 2009 wines have closed down, which accentuates their round and soft side forward. Many can still be quite enjoyable but the times of primary fruit with its attractive aromatic expression and a generous acidic kick are now over. Except for the dry wines, we would definitely recommend keeping your hands off any bottle in your cellar and possibly buying more wines from this vintage on the market as these are true gems in the making." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015 |
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