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

Amber-gold in the glass, it sprays with candied lemon and golden blossom honey. The palate has immense sweetness and thrill, with that candied lemon intensity driven to the extreme reaches of aroma, brightness, freshness and richness. Scented with citric essence and lusciously concentrated, it is defined by full-flavored sweetness. The very purity of this wine is astonishing, memorable and so intense. Even a tiny drop radiates with citrus flavor. This is an elixir of the utmost purity—a superlative. More than 14g/L of acidity (!) stands against 300g/L.

99 points Anne Krebiehl MW vinous.com

“This unbelievable riesling TBA is the essence of dried apricots, mangoes and papayas, and it could hardly be more concentrated. It also has a truly extraordinary acidity, and this makes it as bright as any diamond that I’ve ever seen. This unique expression of Rheingau riesling is a monumental wine, also monumental in freshness. It also has almost none of the mushroom character that these wines usually have in their youth. If you like vibrant acidity you could drink it now, but I recommend as much patience as you can muster. Extremely limited production from organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.” 

100 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 Trockenbeerenauslese is one of the world’s most extraordinary sweet wines—a golden, nectar-like Riesling made only in the most exceptional vintages, from meticulously selected berries shrivelled by noble rot. From the steep slopes of the Gräfenberg vineyard in Germany’s Rheingau, this wine is a masterclass in purity, power, and precision.

The Gräfenberg vineyard, famed for its slate and loam soils and perfect sun exposure, is a Grand Cru site that consistently produces wines with extraordinary depth and mineral clarity. In years when nature allows, individual botrytised grapes are hand-picked over multiple passes through the vineyard—a labour-intensive process that yields just drops of ultra-concentrated juice from each berry.

Wilhelm Weil, the fourth-generation winemaker at the helm of Weingut Robert Weil, is renowned for his pursuit of perfection. His Trockenbeerenauslese is crafted with cool, slow fermentation in stainless steel to preserve freshness and aromatics, while allowing the wine to develop its characteristic richness and crystalline balance.

In the glass, it offers an intoxicating bouquet of dried apricot, honey, marmalade, saffron, pineapple, and exotic spice. The palate is intensely sweet yet incredibly focused, with piercing acidity and a seamless texture that lifts the richness and carries the flavours through an endlessly long, elegant finish. The wine is practically immortal, capable of ageing for generations.

Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg TBA is a rare collector’s gem—a wine for special occasions, quiet contemplation, or pairing with blue cheese, foie gras, or the finest fruit tarts.