Willi Schaefer
Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese 2013
Germany
About the SessionThis is the largest list of German wines Strauss & Co has ever offered! Once regarded as the greatest wines in the world, German and specifically Mosel Riesling are long aging and investment worthy. Running deep through the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer and across celebrated vintages including the ripe 2009, the warm 2018 and the racy, acclaimed 2019.
‘Trocken’ is the dry Riesling style, while ‘Kabinett’ is off-dry and ‘Spatlese’ and ‘Auslese’ are much sweeter. Another pointer, Is that the higher the alcohol, the more likely the wine is to be drier in style.
LOT 33
Willi Schaefer
Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese 2013
About this Item
Willi Schaefer farms barely four hectares in the village of Graach, yet his featherweight, crystalline Rieslings are among the most coveted on the Mosel, made in tiny quantities and all but sold before they are bottled. The Graacher Domprobst, a steep grey-slate site, yields his most structured wines. 2013 was a small, high-acid vintage that rewarded the Mosel's best with racy, precise Riesling. Stephan Reinhardt from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it a rating of 95, Kim Marcus from Wine Spectator gave it 93, Joel B. Payne from Vinous gave it 92, and Jancis Robinson gave it 17+ out of 20.
Provenance
The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Brice and Burnett – The Fine Wine Specialists (formerly Wine Cellar). His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Brice and Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.
For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@briceandburnett.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.
Critics Ratings
"Compared to the Domprobst Auslese #11 the 7% alcohol 2013 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #14 displays a more concentrated bouquet highlighted by a flinty slate perfume. Sweet, rich and elegant on the palate this lush and juicy Auslese is structured by its refined acidity and lingering salinity, whereas the long aftertaste displays ripe fruit aromas again and still remains piquant and stimulating. However, the wine still has baby fat and thus is not that perfectly shaped or balanced as is the Auslese #11 at the moment. It just asks for some years of bottle age to polish its edges and achieve more transparency." - Stephan Reinhardt, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Feb 2015)
"Shows impressive structure, with plenty of minerality and juiciness to the peach, dried apricot and wild plum flavors, featuring interesting notes of fresh-cut kiwifruit. Bracing finish." - Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, 93/100 (Apr 2015)
"Golden yellow. Rich tropical fruits, honeysuckle and lemon oils waft over the delicately pure botrytis on the nose. Luscious, succulent guava nectar is perfectly balanced by barely perceptible salty minerality on the juicy palate. This Auslese saturates the palate, finishing long, sweet and elegantly spicy." - Joel B. Payne, Vinous, 92/100 (Sep 2014)
"Rather broad and eloquent on the nose. Lots of ripe fruit and tension. Not flashy but very much in the house style of chisel to the fore. Confident. Not that sweet. But admirably balanced." - Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com, 17+/20 (Oct 2014)
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