News — Germany

The Grand Sequel
2022 Lauer Schonfels Kabinett

It's a deadly steep, cliff-vineyard with 100-year-old ungrafted vines (some of the oldest in this famous valley) battered by cold winds.

Egon Müller:
From QbA to TBA

Müller takes Riesling to an undeniably world-class level.

Extreme Weightlessness:
2021 Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir Buntsandstein

The "Buntsandstein" is normally the most expansive of the Pinot Noir collection; this is perhaps the most focused edition they have ever made.

2019 Keller Abtserde Grosses Gewächs

The 2019 Abtserde GG boasts a mind-boggling combination of concentration and laser-like focus and cut. There are few wines around that cover such a range, and even fewer that do so with a comparable grace and harmony. 

"An extreme slate stamp" - Lowest Price
2021 Schäfer-Fröhlich Frühlingsplätzchen Grosses Gewächs

We've worked with Schäfer-Fröhlich's wines for seventeen vintages and this is the first time that we've been able to offer their Frühlingsplätzchen.

The Inexplicable Deal of the Auctions
2021 Lauer Kabinett Auction

Lauer's absolutely fierce Auction Kabinett - always one of our favorites and very much an insider's wine - was one of the few to trade at a very reasonable price.

Grand Cru Emrich-Schönleber at 50% Off
Misunderstood and Rare

Make no mistake, these two bottlings are single-vineyard, Grand Cru dry Rieslings from Emrich-Schönleber.

They are something like the Grosses Gewächs at roughly half the price.

"The potential is huge"
2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Grosse Lage

The 2019 Himmelreich Grosse Lage is absolutely gorgeous. It boasts outrageous clarity with an intense yet ultra-fine expression 

Wine of the Year #1 - Joe's Pick
2020 Stein Riesling Palmberg Kabinett Trocken

There's no way to adequately capture the importance of Ulli's wines. In a world where striving for greatness seems most important, these wines work on an entirely different and more humble wavelength. When Ulli hits the mark, there's something beautifully and quietly persuasive about the wines. The 2020 Palmberg Kabinett Trocken is an excellent example of this.

Baby "Grand Cru"
2020 Keller Riesling QbA Von Der Fels Trocken

Utter Brilliance:
2020 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spätlese

It's hard not to be in awe of Egon Müller. From his Scharzhofberg vineyard, Müller crafts the most consistently magical Rieslings on the planet.

Hitting the Bulls-Eye:
2018 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spätlese #5

They are a historic benchmark and loved by every Riesling fan that we've met. However, in recent vintages, the quality has really shown just what a world-class estate this is. 

"Baby" Grand Cru Steal:
2019 Emrich-Schönleber "Mineral" Trocken

Along with bottlings like Keller's "von der Fels" or Lauer's "Senior," it's a wine with an undeniable Grand Cru pedigree. It is, by all standards, simply a declassified Grand Cru.

Riesling Holy Ground
2019 Wittmann Morstein GG

While Keller made the site famous in the U.S., Wittmann has to be considered the torchbearer of this fabled vineyard. In Germany he enjoys a huge reputation.

The Godfather of Dry
2018 J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Auslese Trocken

Since 1971, Hans-Josef Becker has been crafting incisive, dry Rieslings with an uncompromising, at times almost ruthless, presentation of citrus and mineral.

2019 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Kabinett

Ellergrub is Weiser-Künstler's top site.

"Truly remarkable wine"
2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spätlese #5

This is simply a don't miss vintage for Schaefer. Even judged by their superlative track record over many decades, the 2019s are stunning.

"A stunning expression of airy dry Mosel Riesling"
2018 Willi Schaefer Himmelreich Grosses Gewächs

Schaefer's 2018s are absolutely stunning. They leap out as among the best examples of the vintage. The Himmelreich GG has blazing minerality with a pristine expression. 

NY Times says: “There’s more to German wine than Riesling”
2018 Roterfaden Pinot Noir & Lemberger

A stunning, ancient amphitheater may be producing some of Germany’s most elegant reds. And no one knows anything about this place.

The Undeniable Magic of Müller:
QbA to Eiswein

To state the obvious, the wines of Egon Müller are world-class.

In terms of combining intensity and weightless refinement, Müller is without peer. 

2018 Keller Abtserde Grosses Gewächs

Abtserde has the magical ability to take the power of Hubacker and the minerality of Morstein and Kirchspiel and roll them up into a wine of heartbreaking finesse and ungodly length.

It's not at all surprising that Abtserde is one of the hardest wines to track down. 

Willi Schaefer: 2002-2018

The Rarest of the Rare: 2018 Wasenhaus Spätburgunderr Kanzel

"At their best, they remind us of 2001, but subtler and deeper." - 2019 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spätlese

We wanted to kick off our 2019 German offerings in a big way.

There's no expression of Riesling quite like Müller's Scharzhofberger. It offers intensity without weight; a steely nobility that's breathtaking.