The entry-level Trocken is a blend from Weil’s high-altitude sites dotted around the village of Kiedrich. These vineyards include the brilliantly named Sandgrub vineyard and a good dollop from Wasseros, a steep, southwest-facing vineyard that abuts the Gräfenberg vines. Then, there is a smaller addition from elevated sites in Hallgarten. The soils of these sites are typically composed of stony, fragmented phyllite interlaced with loess and loam. At this level, the wine is vinified in stainless steel with roughly 5% fermented in large oak. Just outstanding for the level. 

The entry-level Trocken is a blend from Weil’s high-altitude sites dotted around the village of Kiedrich. These vineyards include the brilliantly named Sandgrub vineyard and a good dollop from Wasseros, a steep, southwest-facing vineyard that abuts the Gräfenberg vines. Then, there is a smaller addition from elevated sites in Hallgarten. The soils of these sites are typically composed of stony, fragmented phyllite interlaced with loess and loam. At this level, the wine is vinified in stainless steel with roughly 5% fermented in large oak. Just outstanding for the level. 

The vines on this steep, four-hectare vineyard are between 40 and 60 years old. At up to 300 metres, this is the highest of Weil’s three hillside sites, yet thanks to its southern aspect and deeper, iron-rich, weathered slate soils, it also produces the most opulent and seductive of these wines (when young). The Weil team often use the term ‘baroque’ when describing wines from Klosterberg in reference to the lift and generosity. Yes, there is plenty of slate, but also gneiss, which brings out more fruit and floral notes. Like all of Weil’s single-site ’23s, this was raised entirely in Doppelstückfass and aged on full lees for 10 months before bottling. While the Klosterberg shares some similarities in character with the Kiedricher wine, you always get a kick up in intensity, complexity and drive at the finish.

The vineyard of Kiedrich Gräfenberg—or ‘hill of the counts’—has been used to designate Robert Weil’s finest wines since the site was officially classified as ‘Weinlage 1 Klasse’ in 1867. Home to Weil’s oldest vines (up to 80 years of age), with the majority on their own rootstock, it makes perfect sense that Wilhelm Weil decided that it was only from this site that his Grosses Gewächs would derive (even though he could release two GGs from his vineyards).

Weil aims to replicate the style, quality and elegance of the full-bodied dry wines produced in the Rheingau a century ago when the region’s finest Rieslings were the most expensive wines in the world. Despite the high quality of the Turmberg and Klosterberg, this is clearly on another level. The greater loess and loam also impart a distinguishing textural dimension. It’s finer, even more complete and subtly powerful—a wine of obvious Grand Cru class. This year, the GG was raised for 10 months (instead of 12) on lees in large, neutral oak Doppelstückfass (large Stockinger casks). When you think of what we are paying for top-notch Grand Cru white Burgundy, Weil’s remains an absolute bargain, matching the best for class and quality. Few (if any!) could match it for longevity.

Weil is widely considered one of the true greats of the sweeter Prädikat styles. Key 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, mouthwatering freshness and pungent, intense minerality. Unlike the great sweet wines of France, the style of these wines is not reliant on noble rot. Indeed, the formation of botrytis is uncommon on the steep, aerated slopes of Kiedrich. The 2023 finished at 67 g/L of residual sugar and 10 g/L of acidity.

Weil is widely considered one of the true greats of Germany’s highest Prädikat styles, which places them amongst the world’s greatest sweet wines by default. Riesling authority Stuart Piggot has written: “Where would the Rheingau’s tradition of high-end Riesling dessert wines be today if it weren’t for Wilhelm Weil’s modern masterpieces in the style.” He is not exaggerating!  

These wines are as staggeringly beautiful as they are rare. Made in homoeopathic qualities in small, custom-built vats, each sip of these wines is a symphony of flavours, with layers of apricot, peach, honey and hints of citrus intertwining harmoniously with deep minerality and super-charged, crystalline acidify. The purity and poise, not to mention the sublime elegance and vibrating length, are profound. While they are incredibly delicious when opened young, they are also among the longest-lived wines, improving in the bottle for generations.

One key to this estate’s success with these unique styles 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. 

The harvest seldom begins before October and continues for at least eight to ten weeks. During this time, as many as 40 experienced pickers harvest the grapes, with the draconian selection of pristine berries taking up to 17 passes through the vineyards.

The reward for such painstaking work is the kind of iridescent wines that have helped shape the Rheingau’s legend for the past two centuries. Indeed, we could consider them among the first ever ‘icon wines’; in its day, this estate’s legendary 1893 Auslese traded hands for sums far exceeding Bordeaux or Burgundy’s top growths.

Weil is widely considered one of the true greats of Germany’s highest Prädikat styles, which places them amongst the world’s greatest sweet wines by default. Riesling authority Stuart Piggot has written: “Where would the Rheingau’s tradition of high-end Riesling dessert wines be today if it weren’t for Wilhelm Weil’s modern masterpieces in the style.” He is not exaggerating!  

These wines are as staggeringly beautiful as they are rare. Made in homoeopathic qualities in small, custom-built vats, each sip of these wines is a symphony of flavours, with layers of apricot, peach, honey and hints of citrus intertwining harmoniously with deep minerality and super-charged, crystalline acidify. The purity and poise, not to mention the sublime elegance and vibrating length, are profound. While they are incredibly delicious when opened young, they are also among the longest-lived wines, improving in the bottle for generations.

One key to this estate’s success with these unique styles 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. 

The harvest seldom begins before October and continues for at least eight to ten weeks. During this time, as many as 40 experienced pickers harvest the grapes, with the draconian selection of pristine berries taking up to 17 passes through the vineyards.

The reward for such painstaking work is the kind of iridescent wines that have helped shape the Rheingau’s legend for the past two centuries. Indeed, we could consider them among the first ever ‘icon wines’; in its day, this estate’s legendary 1893 Auslese traded hands for sums far exceeding Bordeaux or Burgundy’s top growths.