Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 25 years from the vintage, though exceptional vintages can easily cellar beautifully for 30 or more years as they develop complex petrol, wax, and dried fruit nuances.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Spicy Sichuan or Thai cuisine, classic roasted pork belly with apples, and aged cheeses such as Comte or Gruyere.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Taking over his family's estate in 1984 at just twenty years old, Markus Molitor set out to restore the Mosel region's historic prestige through uncompromising quality and traditional craftsmanship. Based at the historic Haus Klosterberg in Bernkastel-Kues, the winery meticulously farms steep, slate-rich vineyards across the Mosel and Saar, utilizing extremely late hand-harvesting and spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak Fuder casks. Molitor is globally renowned for his precise, mineral-driven Rieslings—distinguished by white, green, and gold capsules indicating dryness levels—as well as his structured, elegant Spätburgunder. This obsessive dedication to terroir has earned the estate numerous perfect 100-point scores, cementing its status as an icon of German winemaking.