96 Points James Suckling
This great Spatlese from the Graacher Himmelreich has everything we hope for from this famous site: excellent concentration and delicacy on the barely medium-bodied palate, terrific slatey character and a broad spectrum of aromas that range from white flowers and peaches to blackcurrants. Super-stony and precise finish. All of this has a wonderful spring-like freshness that makes it irresistible. Drink or hold.
95 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese is very intense and open on the complex and saline nose that is reminiscent of crushed slate rocks as well as ripe and intense, dense citrus fruit intermingled with lemon aromas. Round and refined on the palate, this is a lively and savory Riesling with a firm, mineral structure and floral flavors on the complex and youthful finish. This is a Spätlese to be aged for at least 5+ years. 8% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 07 24 in January 2025. At the renowned winery in Wehlen in January, I had to taste not only the last but also the penultimate vintage, i.e., 2023 alongside the 2022. I tasted both vintages one after the other, not side by side—the 2023 before lunch, the 2022 afterwards. I don't have a favorite, even though I had thought in advance that the 2023 vintage would have an easy time against its predecessor. But far from it. The hot and dry 2022s at Prüm turned out exceptionally well, and more than once I saw the 2022 ahead of the 2023, but I can't give a plausible reason for this. In any case, Katharina and her team have produced two great collections in two very different and challenging vintages.
95 Points Vinous
The 2023 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese offers a yeasty aroma with a hint of flint and a slight touch of mint. The palate showcases pure Mirabelle and gentle sweetness, with exquisite delineation and a supple sweetness highlighted by an exquisitely pure lemon tone
93 Points Wine Spectator
A smoky mineral layer hovers in the backdrop of this streamlined, concentrated Riesling, with beautiful clarity and range to its notes of lime oil, peach and green herbs. Flinty and sultry through the long finish, which features some phenolic extract for a dry impression. Best from 2026 through 2040.
Winemaker Notes
Graacher Himmelreich directly borders the southern edge of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard. The wines from this site often rival the quality of those from its more famous neighbor, especially in hot, dry years. Graacher wines attract with their racy acidity, a pronounced minerality (that reminds of crushed rock) and slightly different fruit aromas and flavors (more citrus). Often, the wines become accessible slightly earlier than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr and are deliciously mouth-watering when young. The vineyard has a south- west exposure and it is a little less steep with deeper soils that act as excellent water reservoirs.
