Newsletter 2024

Different wines in our collection require different qualities from the grapes. For instance, our high-quality Prädikat and single-vineyard wines need to meet specific standards for sugar levels and vineyard origin. Dry wines, with their low sugar content, reveal every subtlety, so we choose only the healthiest, fully ripe grapes for them.
A vineyard isn’t harvested all at once; it often takes multiple visits. In the pre-harvest stage, we pick only the overripe grapes, leaving the rest to reach full ripeness. This is followed by the main harvest, where we take all the grapes off the vines, carefully separating any unripe or rotten ones.

 

Our Pinot Noir grapes for red wine require a different approach because their color is in the skin, not the juice. To extract the color, we leave them to ferment as whole grapes for several days before pressing.
The press extracts all juice from the grapes, leaving behind dry pomace. The juice, or must, is then pumped into cooling vats to preserve its aromas and prevent early fermentation. Here, we get a first taste of the must, revealing hints of what the wine will become.
Not all grapes go through the large presses; select grapes for Auslese and higher Prädikat wines require more delicate handling to release their "liquid gold." These grapes are hand-sorted again until only raisin-like berries remain, which are then pressed in a small, specialized press overnight. The yield is small but exceptionally precious.
To be continued in next years newsletter.
 

The year 2023 in the Mosel region was marked by a shortened yet intense harvest season, bringing the Riesling grape to the forefront. Our vines adapted remarkably well to the year’s extreme weather conditions. The hot and dry summer, particularly in June, initially led to drought stress and occasional sunburn on the grapes. However, the abundant rainfall at the end of July provided much-needed relief. In September, the warm nights of the “golden autumn” accelerated grape ripening, ultimately resulting in an excellent balance of acidity and sweetness – especially in our Rieslings, which developed optimally.
The 2023 vintage has produced opulent wines that display both power and volume without losing the delicate finesse typical of the Kabinett category. The fine acidity structure gives the wines vibrancy and supports their exceptional aging potential. Sweet wine enthusiasts, in particular, can look forward to this vintage, as we were able to restock our Beerenauslese reserves for the first time in a long while. But even the “Spätlesen” reflect the impressive opulence of this vintage.
We are extremely pleased with the development of our wines and the success they have already achieved. In the Moselweinwerbungs annual selection tasting, our 2023 Graacher Domprobst Kabinett trocken (no. 04) achieved an excellent 2nd place in the Riesling Kabinett dry category. At the prestigious Mosel CUP of Gourmetwelten 2024, which brought together top international wineries and newcomers, three of our wines made it into the TOP 20 of their respective categories. We are particularly proud of the 3rd place achieved by our 2023 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese** (no. 21), while our 2023 Domprobst Spätlese feinherb (no. 13) was also selected among the TOP 20.
On the state level, the quality of our wines was also recognized: out of the 18 wines submitted, 16 were awarded with the gold medal by the chamber of agriculture. In November 2024, we look forward to the renewed awarding of the State Honorary Prize by the Chamber of Agriculture, which crowns our long-standing work and the success of this outstanding vintage.
The 2023 wine year impressively showcases how our winery rises to the challenges of nature, producing wines of the highest quality that will bring enjoyment for many years to come.