Graacher Himmelreich Auslese Direct from the Cellar

 The 2001 Vintage

 - Stunning

 - Classic

 - Middle Mosel Was the Star

 - Unlikely We'll See a Vintage Like This Again Given Global Warming

Licht-Bergweiler

 - A Tier 1a Producer

 - Right Behind JJ Prum and Willi Schaefer Back in the Day

 - Never Figured Out Marketing

 - Still Some Old Jewels in the Cellar

2001 Licht Bergweiler Graacher Himmelreich Auslese

 - Old School Style of Mosel that Really Doesn’t Exist Anymore

 - Nose: Super Floral and So Expressive

 - So Clear and So Pure

 - Lovely Green Apple

 - Super Concentrated

 - Insane Energy

 - Structure Here Is Incredible

 - Still Very Fresh 

 - Super Long Finish 

They Are Not Making Any More 2001 - This Is a Rare Opportunity to Acquire Wines from a Great Vineyard, Year and Producer Direct from the Cellar

I have been going to the Mosel for a long time and like any place that you have been going for a while and you get to know people. I know a good amount of people in the Mosel and I can count Stefan Steinmetz of Weingut Gunther Steinmetz as one of my friends. He is one of the most knowledgeable people about the Mosel and Mosel wine I have ever met and has one of the best, if not the best, palates in all of Germany. If Stefan says something is good (which he rarely does), I listen. This is especially true in the Mosel as he knows it inside out and vine by vine going back 20 years. On my visit this in February 2013, Stefan told me about an estate that was for sale in the Mosel and that they had tons of old wine they were selling at low prices. My ears perked up. He then said he had a bunch of the wines on hand and asked if I wanted to taste them. I nearly opened the bottles with my teeth I was so excited. We tasted through a bunch of wines from the Licht-Bergweiler Estate and so many were brilliant!

What do Gentaz-Dervieux, Claire Dau, Raymond Trollat and Schloss Eltz all have in common? They all made terrific world-class wine and theyall do not exist anymore. Surely there must be more estates beyondthese that were the bee's knees and then hung it up for one reason oranother. Of course there are. Licht-Bergweiler was one of the great old estates of the Mosel. They were firmly in the 2nd tier behind JJ Prum and Willi Schaefer. The wines were spectacular old school Mosel style. Kind of like Steinmetz crossed with Willi Schaefer. 

Now it’s 9 years later and we work with Stefan and somebody has bought the Licht-Bergweiler estate and Stefan has brokered a deal where I can buy the old wines in the cellar. And I’m immediately going to sell the most desirable wine from the cellar. A stunning wine that is at peak! 

Today I’m honored to sell the 2001 Licht-Bergweiler Graacher Himmelreich Auslese for $49.99 a bottle. These are 750ML bottles so it’s basically $25 a split. This is an insane deal for an insane wine.

The Legendary 2001 Vintage Anybody who knows anything about 2001 knows that Auslese was a strength of the vintage and also that Graach wines were a strength of the vintage. 2001 has energy in the mouth like no other vintage. 19 is the next but not even in the same league. 2001 might be the last profound old style vintage. But it also has that 2001 extra oomph that no other Mosel vintage has. We will never see another one like it.

The color is what first stands out. It looks like a 2019! It’s just stunningly young. That’s a hallmark of a wine that’s never moved.

Nose is super floral and so expressive. Just a little of the cleanest botrytis one can imagine. It’s so clear and so pure. It smells in between young and old which is my favorite place for Riesling. Also lovely green apple and only the slightest hint of petrol. It’s super concentrated with just insane energy. Anyway the acid on this wine is crazy legit. Just insane wake you up acidity. It’s not extremely high but it’s lively and has that 2001 juju. There’s an awesome bite on the back end that is a combo of acidity and some tannin. The structure here is incredible and this easily has another 20 years ahead of it. Still a very fresh wine. Even youthful. It’s got a youthful vigor. The nose has a bit of herbs.

Finish is super long and it’s even a bit reserved and needs 2-3 hours to really extend. These older Licht-Bergweiler wines need hours to unwind. The 1994s act the same way. This is an old school style of Mosel that really doesn’t exist anymore. Think Trollat/Sozet but it’s Mosel Riesling instead of Northern Rhone Syrah. This is thrilling wine and I’m lucky to offer it. 

2001 Licht-Bergweiler Graacher Himmelreich Auslese - $51.99 ($199.96 4-Pack)