2023 Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg Beerenauslese Half Bottle 375ml, Rheingau

The 2023 Riesling Kiedricher Gräfenberg Beerenauslese was made from shriveled grapes with just a touch of botrytis. Blossom honey shines alongside candied peach and lemon peel. with that lemon lift immediately reaching the pleasure centers of the brain. Its 12 g/L of acidity stands against 200 g/L of residual sweetness. The palate brings the peachiest thrill imaginable. Picture the purest, most heightened, sublimated peach, then drench it in citrus freshness…It’s a soaring, thrilling, wonderfully bright experience of intense fruit, powerful concentration and absolute crystalline purity.” 

100 points Anne Krebiehl MW vinous.com

If you want to find out what a great riesling dessert wine taste like, there could hardly be a better place than here, because in spite of the huge concentration of dried papaya and mango character, this is super clean and crisp. The only downside is the youthful intensity of the wine that’s off the scale, but that’s exactly what makes its potential so exciting. Its life is measured in decades rather than years. The caramelized mandarin orange character in the finish is off the scale. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.

 99 points Stuart Pigott jamessuckling.com

Stuart Pigott, Best White Wine on Earth: The Riesling Story

Weil is widely considered one of the true greats of the sweeter Prädikat styles. One of the keys to this estate’s success with these wines is that the mountainous, rocky setting of the Kiedricher Berg vineyards allows for a perfect balance between natural sweetness, mouth-watering freshness and pungent, intense minerality.

These wines are staggeringly beautiful. They are all don’t-miss wines. As is so often the case, Weil’s 2022 Gräfenberg Spätlese exhibits textbook balletic poise between the wine’s natural sweetness and laser-like acidity. The grapes for Weil’s Auslesen were harvested without any botrytis influence. It is the kind of iridescent wine that has helped shape Rheingau’s legend for the past two centuries. What little botrytis did arrive in 2022 came in late October, giving the estate the opportunity to craft homoeopathic doses of BA and TBA. If your budget stretches this far, you will be rewarded with two of Germany’s more celebrated wines.

Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg Beerenauslese is a rare and opulent Riesling that sits among the highest expressions of sweet wine in the world. From one of Germany’s most revered single vineyards in the Rheingau, this wine is the product of painstaking viticulture, late harvesting, and meticulous berry-by-berry selection—yielding an elixir of remarkable intensity, precision, and longevity.

The Gräfenberg vineyard is a steep, south-west facing slope with deep phyllite slate soils that retain heat and reflect sunlight, helping grapes ripen slowly and evenly. In exceptional years, a combination of natural botrytis and perfect autumn conditions allows the team at Weingut Robert Weil to produce a Beerenauslese of extraordinary concentration, while retaining the electric acidity that defines the estate’s style.

Founded in 1875, Robert Weil is a benchmark for top-tier German Riesling, and their reputation is built on exacting standards and a deep respect for tradition. Wilhelm Weil, the current generation at the helm, continues to craft wines that are both luxurious and focused, with a laser-like purity of fruit and structure.

The Beerenauslese is made only in the best vintages and in tiny quantities. Fermentation is slow and cool to preserve delicate aromatics, and the wine matures in stainless steel to emphasise clarity and freshness.

In the glass, expect aromas of golden peach, apricot compote, honeycomb, orange blossom, saffron, and candied citrus. The palate is unctuous yet perfectly balanced with vibrant acidity and mineral tension, delivering a finish that is both luscious and feather-light. It’s a wine that will age for decades, evolving into something even more haunting and complex over time.

Pair it with blue cheese, foie gras, or exotic fruit desserts—or simply savour it on its own as a luxurious after-dinner experience.