Only a small selection of our wines make it into the premium class . We like to call them cellar gold . But what makes them so special and how can we explain the price difference? Let's first look at the four Riesling wines that were able to win the premium rating from Graf von Weyher .
Riesling premium wines
Riesling has been grown in Germany for over 600 years (you don't even dare to think about what it was like before!) and the Palatinate is the largest Riesling growing region in the world, so our specialty if you will. Our premium Riesling is made from the same grape as the other wines. The grapes are also pressed in the same way. Same alcohol content (13%), all dry. So is it all just a marketing gimmick?
Nope. Anyone who knows anything about wine knows that the vine and the processing are just two of the important elements that make up a wine: Two other important factors are the location and yes, you won't believe it, the rock on which the vine grows! The Riesling is a grape that adapts very sensitively to its environment.
We at Graf von Weyher are very proud to have four completely different types of rock on our relatively small area (because that's rare!): red sandstone , granite , marl and slate . The differences in the rock can actually be seen with the naked eye. So be sure to come to our winery here in the beautiful Palatinate at the next opportunity and take a tour!
But back to the differences: The vines have to adapt to the subsoil and this has a direct effect on the taste. For example, red sandstone contains a lot of sand and many minerals, so it stores more water. This is quite relaxed for the vines in dry summers, especially compared to hard granite or multi-layered slate.
Granite, on the other hand, which is actually quite rare in Germany, has another advantage: when exposed to direct sunlight, it heats up considerably and thus stores the natural heat for a long time... which can be quite nice for the vine on cold spring nights!
It is relatively easy to understand that the location affects the taste : the more sun, the sweeter the wine. Our limestone marl and red sandstone slopes face south-west , meaning they receive ten to eleven hours of sunshine in summer (and the southern Palatinate is one of the sunniest regions in Germany, so there is plenty of sunshine!). Our slate and granite slopes, on the other hand, face south and receive a maximum of eight hours of sun in summer.
For our premium wines, we harvest each variety separately and process them with particular care. You can really taste the differences (and that does n't just apply to real wine connoisseurs!). Try it out and find out which is your personal favorite Riesling. You can find more details about Kellergold in the individual wines.
This is what wine experts say:
"Pale lemon yellow. On the nose, a scent of minerality, lemon peel, pear and green apple. On the palate, aromas of slightly sweet lime sorbet and apple develop, lively acidity, medium body. Fun." Falstaff Wine Guide 2022
"Smells like a vineyard after a summer rain, wet stone, herbs, green leaves, plus apple and tangerine. In the mouth with an agile acidity accompanied by some fruit sweetness, darker, stony notes, also some steely minerality that provides character." Falstaff Wine Guide 2021.
"Straw yellow color; the scent contains aromas of citrus fruits and ripe yellow-fleshed fruits such as peach and apricot; fruity on the palate with a playful acid structure; fresh and lively overall impression." DLG Federal Wine Awards , Frankfurt am Main, 05/2020.
"Ripe apple and citrus fruit in the inviting nose, passion fruit, spicy and floral aspects. In the mouth with noticeable residual sweetness, which is juicy and creamy accompanied by a ripe acidity, in the middle of the palate with mineral tension, spicy and charming." Falstaff Wine Guide 2020.
"... Equipped with a lot of pressure and, when it's right, also with finesse. This is particularly evident in Peter Graf's Rieslings, which he teases out of the respective subsoils in a very differentiated way. While the Riesling Kalkmergel is very open from the start, slate and especially granite need a longer maturation phase to open up..." Vinum Weinguide Detschland 2018.
"Muffled nose that unfolds with a little air. Citrus and peach notes with hints of walnut. Full contour with depth and power, compact and complex. A wine that needs time (and still has plenty of time). With game birds, veal, cheese..." Dr. Rolf Klein, experienced wine author and former editor-in-chief of the magazine "Weinwelt".
Awards:
Vintage 2019 (AP.No. 5073053 1020) Acidity: 7.7 g/l; Residual sugar: 8.7 g/l; Alcohol: 13.0% vol.
90 points - "excellent wine, among the best wines of the vintage." Falstaff Wine Guide 2021
Vintage 2018 (AP.No. 5073053 2519) Acidity: 7.8 g/l; Residual sugar: 8.5 g/l; Alcohol: 13.0% vol.
90 points - "excellent wine, among the best wines of the vintage." Falstaff Wine Guide 2020
Golden DLG Prize awarded and recognized by the DLG - Federal Wine Awards.
Vintage 2017 (AP.No. 5073053 1418) Acidity: 8.2 g/l; Residual sugar: 9.6 g/l; Alcohol: 13.0% vol.
89 points at the international competition ' Best of Riesling' .
Golden Chamber Prize Coin at the state awards for wine and sparkling wine awarded by the Chamber of Agriculture of Rhineland-Palatinate .
Vintage 2016 (AP.No. 5073053 3317) 2nd filling, the same wine!
Golden Chamber Prize Coin at the state awards for wine and sparkling wine awarded by the Chamber of Agriculture of Rhineland-Palatinate .
Vintage 2016 (AP.No. 5073053 1617) Acidity: 7.9 g/l; Residual sugar: 8.7 g/l; Alcohol: 13.0% vol.
6th place in the Riesling category at the competition ' The young Southern Palatinate, something is growing there '.
90 points at the international competition ' Best of Riesling' .
90 points - "Wines of excellent quality that have good aging potential." Vinum Wine Guide 2018
Vintage 2015 (AP.No. 5073053 00516) Acidity: 7.9 g/l; Residual sugar: 8.8 g/l; Alcohol: 13.0% vol.
1st place in the Riesling category in the competition ' The young Southern Palatinate, something is growing there '.
3rd place in the state-wide competition for winning wines - "The best of the year in the state awards for wine and sparkling wine" in the dry Riesling category, awarded by the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Agriculture .
90 points at the international competition ' Best of Riesling' .
Golden Chamber Prize Coin at the state awards for wine and sparkling wine awarded by the Chamber of Agriculture of Rhineland-Palatinate .
