Weingut Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese 2023 750ml

Product Info

95pts Vinous Media
The 2023 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese imbues its pristine white peach fleshiness with superbly aromatic citrus tones and mossy, green freshness. This is like a more intense Kabinett with the fruit volume dialed up a bit, but with the same essential, central lightness. It takes hold of the mouth and mind, filling the palate with charm and ease, homing in on a note of Seville orange sweetness. Its purity and radiating aromas are exquisite. (Sweet) Drinking Window: 2026 - 2060

The Schaefers presented a collection of luminous, fresh-faced, superbly elegant Rieslings. Christoph Schaefer remembers the good start to 2023, with sufficient moisture and a “warm phase in the summer months that turned into a cooler August with episodes of rain.” While the rain was initially welcome, it also posed the risk of rot. But Schaefer emphasizes that they were poised to start, having learned that flexibility is everything. The stylistic focus of 2023 was thus Kabinett and Spätlese. They did not make their village wine, Graacher trocken and feinherb, because the quality of the fruit was “too good” and thus went into Kabinett. “It was relatively clear that not every wine would gain by concentration,” he says, meaning that any development of botrytis quickly turned to the wrong kind of rot. “It was important to be decisive,” Schaefer adds. His highest Prädikat in 2023 was the Auslese Goldkapsel, which was featured in my Auction Report earlier this year. - By Anne Krebiehl MW on September 2024

99pts Wine Advocate
Schaefer's 2023 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese is very clear and intense yet also precise and flinty on the bright and well-defined nose that is intense without being bold and is characterized by its perfectly ripe and elegant fruit and delicate slate aroma. Lush and savory on the palate, this is a very intense, utterly mineral and mouthwatering Spätlese with great energy and tension, enormous length and salivating complexity. This is an adorable and age-worthy showstopper and a milestone Himmelreich for Andrea and Christoph Schaefer. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in August 2024 from AP 8 24.

In the end, Christoph Schaefer was more than satisfied with the 2023 vintage, which he didn't see coming so well, describing it as "a blend of tension, elegance and intensity," as the family worked to bring it home in the best possible way.

"The vintage was not easy," Christoph said at our tasting at the winery on a Sunday morning in early August. The growing season started late, with plenty of rain in the winter and spring. Then it got warm for a long time and even very warm, and the vines developed quickly. However, rain set in again at the end of July and continued into the fall. Added to this were the still-high temperatures in September, which led to the risk of rot. "The harvest was correspondingly exhausting. We started early to take the pressure off. But we had to work absolutely cleanly from the very beginning," emphasized Christoph, who pursues a very clear, elegant and inspiring style. Starting the harvest early on September 15 was therefore the right choice. "We needed the time, also because of the elaborate selection in the vineyard," he said. Here, the Schaefers have developed a veritable routine in recent years and are mercilessly uncompromising when it comes to negative selection. It took them over four weeks to harvest the 4.5 hectares of vines.

The result is another great series of Rieslings from the three grands crus: Graacher Domprobst, Himmelreich and Wehlener Sonnenuhr. The grape quality was at least at the Kabinett level, so it was not possible to downgrade to local wines. So, there are four Kabinett wines: three from each vineyard and a fourth again from the Domprobst. This noble, incredibly finessed and rich Kabinett (AP#1) is already the fourth consecutive vintage to be selected for the auction, whereas previously only Spätlese and Auslese vintages were selected. However, the last real Aulsese or botrytis vintage was in fact 2019. "After that, it was really only Kabinett vintages that followed," said Christoph, who still found enough Spätlese grapes in 2023 (three in the Domprobst alone!), but for whom Auslese wines have become a rarity. "Because things don't always get better if you wait," as he also learned last fall. "Good Kabinett grapes quickly turn into rotten grapes that we didn't want to use."

For example, there were only 200 liters of raisined grapes from the 2023 vintage from the Domprobst (this precious Riesling #14 was reserved exclusively for long-standing regular customers), while there was only one glass balloon of Auslese from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr. The 55 liters of an almost perfect Riesling, filled as a "long gold capsule" (Lange Goldkapsel), will be auctioned in November.

However, the wine that you should definitely try to buy here – next to the regular Kabinett Rieslings – is the 2023 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese, which is almost too good to be true. The fact that you don't have to go to the auction for this quality, but to your trusted dealer, makes it Willi Schaefer's 2023 Riesling of the Year. Published: Oct 17, 2024 Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt

Terroir
Graacher Himmelreich is one of the great classic sites of the Mosel, situated on steep, slate-dominant hillsides that rise sharply above the river. The soils are composed primarily of blue Devonian slate, which fractures easily and retains warmth, allowing grapes to ripen even in cool conditions. These slopes face southwest, receiving afternoon sun that coaxes flavor development while the river below reflects light and moderates temperature.
The 2023 vintage in the Mosel brought a long and steady growing season with balanced warmth and cool nights, yielding fruit of crystalline purity, high natural acidity, and vivid aromatics. Willi Schaefer’s approach here is always gentle and precise, resulting in wines that are transparent expressions of vineyard character, never forced, never heavy.

Winemaking & Technical Notes
Made from 100% Riesling, hand-harvested in multiple passes to capture optimal ripeness cluster by cluster. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in traditional large, old Mosel Fuder casks that do not impart flavor, but allow the wine to develop fine texture and slow, graceful evolution.
This is a Spätlese, meaning late-picked fruit with natural sweetness balanced by penetrating acidity. The wine is low in alcohol (around 7.5%) and marked by a delicate interplay of sweetness and minerality—never cloying, always lifted. No fining or overt manipulation; clarity and finesse are the priorities.

Tasting Notes
The 2023 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese opens with green apple, white peach, lime leaf, honeysuckle, and jasmine, layered with the site’s unmistakable wet slate and cool stone aromatics.
On the palate, the wine is gossamer and precise, carrying a dancing lightness that belies the depth of flavor. Notes of ripe pear, mandarin, and apricot unfold slowly, joined by hints of herbal lift—lemon balm, sweet mint—and saline minerality. The sweetness is textural, not sugary, balanced perfectly by crystalline acidity that keeps the wine lifted and linear.
The finish is long, shimmering, and pure, echoing citrus zest and slate dust, with a delicate sense of quiet energy—a hallmark of Willi Schaefer’s style.

This is a wine of grace rather than volume, as lyrical and transparent as Riesling gets.

Food Pairing & Service
Serve well-chilled (45–50 °F / 7–10 °C) in a white wine or tulip-shaped glass. No decanting necessary. Pair with salt, spice, and delicacy:

• Fresh crab with lemon and chives
• Sushi or sashimi, especially toro or kampachi
• Thai cuisine with lime, basil, and gentle chili heat
• Vietnamese spring rolls with herbs
• Roasted pork with apple and fennel
• Soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, or Chaumes

For a perfect regional pairing: Zwiebelkuchen (savory onion tart) or flaky white fish with brown butter and capers.

This wine will evolve beautifully over time. Drink now for freshness, or cellar 10–25 years for deepening honey, spice, and stone-driven complexity.