Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2038
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Sichuan or Thai cuisine, classic roasted pork belly with apples, and aged cheeses such as Comte or Gruyere.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the legendary, dizzyingly steep slopes of the Graacher Himmelreich—a name translating to 'Kingdom of Heaven'—this 100% Riesling is a masterclass in Mosel tension and terroir. Markus Molitor, who took over his family's estate in 1984 at the age of twenty, has become synonymous with an uncompromising, artisanal approach to winemaking. The Himmelreich vineyard is characterized by its deep, water-retaining Devonian slate soils, which impart a profound, crystalline minerality and structural power to the wine. Molitor relies on hand-harvesting, extremely strict selection, and slow, spontaneous fermentation in traditional neutral oak Fuder casks. This Spatlese captures the perfect harmony of late-harvest concentration and vibrant, electric acidity, showcasing notes of white peach, wet stone, and delicate floral honey, all framed by the estate's signature precision.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded upon an eighth-generation family viticultural heritage, Weingut Markus Molitor was transformed in 1984 when twenty-year-old Markus Molitor took over the estate at Haus Klosterberg with the dedicated mission of restoring Mosel Riesling to its historic world-class stature. Situated in Bernkastel-Kues in Germany's legendary Mosel region, the winery meticulously cultivates precipitous slate vineyards across renowned grand cru sites such as Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, and Erdener Treppchen. Molitor practices low yields, ultra-selective late hand-harvesting, and gentle spontaneous fermentation in ancient, deep vaulted cellars with minimal intervention. The estate is globally celebrated for its site-expressive Rieslings—distinguished by white, green, and gold capsules indicating dry, off-dry, and botrytized sweet styles—as well as remarkably complex, structured Pinot Noir.
🍇 Grape Varieties
100% Riesling