Willi Schaefer made some of our favorite wines in 2018.

This won't surprise many people. Schaefer is a historically great estate that has been on a tear for the past handful of vintages. Simply put, they keep turning out the top collections of many vintages.

When Jean Fisch and David Rayer write that the #10 has "real Spätlese character," it's a big deal.

The 2018 vintage in Germany was ripe and only the most insightful growers were able to maintain proportions in the realm of what could be called classical for their Kabinetts and Spätlesen. Schaefer really nailed it with a superb collection at these levels.

Out of the two Spätlesen that Schaefer often releases from Domprobst (#s 5 and 10), the #10 is the more mineral and linear of the two and the #5 is more about layered fruit. There's no doubt that it's easy to overlook the subtlety of the #10 next to the #5. However, its quiet, elegant beauty captures Schaefer's serene precision in a very special way.

In 2018, the #10 really thrived displaying a stunning amount of tension and delineation for the vintage. The warm year added extra complexity to the wine with crystal clear layers of fruit.

Few German producers are as bulletproof or as beloved as Schaefer. I'll wrap this up by saying that once again Schaefer turned out one of the top collections of the vintage and the 2018 Spätlese #10 is a stand out vintage for this wine.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits