Taste Notes
Primary Notes: Apple / Pear Pineapple Lemon / Lime Jasmine
Secondary Notes: Honeycomb / Beeswax
Tertiary Notes:
Wine Structure
Body: Light
Dryness: Sweet
Acidity:
Tannin: Light
Alcohol (%):
Origin & Awards
Origin: Mosel, Germany
Maker: Willi Schaefer Graacher
Grape: Riesling
Fermentation: Slight Wood
Awards:
Serving Recommendations
Decanting:
Serving Temperature: Best served between 10–12 degrees.
Asian Food Pairing:
Western Food Pairing: Pair with salmon tartare, choucroute garnie, or shellfish risotto.
Description
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2020
A riesling close to working magic, this semi-sweet white will put anyone who tries it under a spell...
Pristine fruit flavours with a breathtaking tension and complexity. Fresh nose of white florals, yellow peach, lime zest, pear and herbs. The luscious mouthfeel produces flavours of candied yellow peach, lime ice cream, honeyed green apple, overripe pineapple and slate. Silky and charming with a fine acidity and minerality. Animated, structured and dry, with a long bitter finish of ripe fruits and herbs.
100% Riesling sourced from Willi Schaefer's Himmelreich vineyards. The vineyard name of Himmelreich, which translates as Kingdom of Heaven, likely comes from the site's south to southwest exposure. The vineyard's deep clayey slate soil, cool Mosel climate and perfect sunlight exposure make it a paradise for Riesling. The grapes are hand-harvested, gently pressed whole cluster, and spontaneously ferment and age in old Fuder barrels.
8Â %
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
Quite smoky with flint and chalk that work rather well with the notes of dried citrus and spices. Medium dry with a deep serving of acidity and peach and stone flavors. Finely tuned and sleek. Drink in 2022.
Christoph Schaefer farms just 10 acres, and half of them are on the steep slate slopes of Graacher Himmelreich. A sunny, protected site, it often makes his most exuberant wine. The party hasn’t started for this vintage yet, but it will. Right now, it’s still got some of the sponti funk from its ambient-yeast fermentation in large barrels; it’s also weighted down with smoky mineral notes and fruit so ripe it edges toward red berries. While it will take a little while in the cellar for the acidity to organize all those flavors into a more Schaefer-esque sense of order and clarity, the wine already has a sense of energy that feels exciting and full of promise
A luscious, velvety spätlese, featuring concentrated ripe apricot, orange marmalade and graham cracker notes, balanced by intense acidity, with hints of honey and sage cream on the finish. Very giving right now, and will only get better. Best from 2021 through 2036
by John Gilman 92+ POINTS