Daniel's door. From this cellar in Traben have come some of the finest prädikat wines we've ever tasted. (photo: Cari Bernard)

Pradikat is Where It's At! The shimmering 2019s from Daniel Vollenweider.

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It's a story that's been told countless times before: (Swiss) boy tastes Burgundy, boy wants to make wine in Burgundy, sees vineyard prices, and then tastes a botles of Egon Müller Scharzhofberg Auslese and moves to the Mosel to follow his even sweeter dream. It almost seems apocryphal, but it is exactly what happened with Daniel Vollenweider. After spells working in Germany and overseas, Daniel started in 1999 with 1.3 hectares in the Wolfer Golgrube, a pedigreed vineyard that had been neglected and overgrown. By dint of hard work and the blessing of 80+ year-old, ungrafted vines Daniel began attracting notice with his brilliant prädikat wines shortly thereafter. He has since grown his holdings in Wolfer Golgrube in addition to acquiring parcels in Kröver Steffensberg and Trabener Würzgarten. All the while working the vertiginous sites by hand without pesticides or herbicides. This work is reflected in the depth and dazzling expressiveness of the wines, especially the prädikat wines featuring residual sugar (he does make marvellous dry wines, but today the focus is on sweetness).

Vinification happens in multi-level cellar beneath his house in Trarbach in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts (except in the case of heavily botrytized fruits) with as little intervention as possible.The wines are textured and nuanced with a firm beam of nervy acidity and flinty mineral core. The 2019s show expressive ripeness (and yes, sweetness) and the pinpoint balance that will allow the wines to age profoundly. John McIlwain

 

 

 

 

 

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Vollenweider 2019 Mosel Riesling Wolfer Goldgrube Spätlese

The 2019 Wolfer Goldgrube Spätlese (AP 02 20) sourced from old vines in the Wolfer Goldgrube, picked at 96° Oechsle  fermented down to 96 g/l residual sugar. This is a beautiful Spätlese balancing flinty/stony  notes and magnificent floral aromas on the nose giving way to lush stone fruit and Cara Cara orange peel. The palate shows the ripeness of the vintage (and a touch of botrytis) but has an electric core of acidity lending focus and dazzling energy to the long, lingering, harmonious finish. This is a beautiful bottle now, but 5 to 10 years in the cellar to allow the elements to knit should be rewarded handsomely in complexity and nuance. Highly recommended! John McIlwain


  • Out of Stock
  • white sweet
  • 0 in stock
  • $44.99

Vollenweider 2019 Mosel Krover Riesling Steffsberg Spatlese

From vines that are 40+ years old and picked at 103° Oechsle and fermented to 90 g/l residual sugar. The 2019 Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Spätlese has a pale yellow green robe. The nose is airy and lifted offering cool minty and sweet herbal aromas (Spring in a glass) giving way to scents of apple blossom, a white peach nectar, and wet slate. The palate is chiseled and taut on the attack, brimming with salty mineral notes with ripe flavors of white cherry, apple skin, and Meyer lemon oil radiating outward. This is already layered and offering nascent complexity, but oh! what a bright future this has once the structural elements harmonize. Gorgeous! John McIlwain

  • Out of Stock
  • white medium-sweet
  • 0 in stock
  • $44.99

Vollenweider 2019 Mosel Riesling Wolfer Goldgrube Auslese GKA 375ml

The 2019 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Auslese GKA was made from fully botrytized fruit picked at 128° Oechsle, and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (140 g/l) per the indispensable Mosel Fine Wines. If the Spätlese from the vintage is effusive on the nose, the Wolfer Goldgrube Auslese GKA is downright ebullient with an riot of beautiful floral aromatics with, red fruit, spice and a creamy character following. The palate is poised, nervy, and vibrant with snappy energy and deep mineral cut belying the noble sweetness with juicy stone fruit, acacia honey, passionfruit and creaminess carry across the lip-smacking finish. This is already verging on profound and will age beautifully for decades. One of the finest bottles we've ever tasted from Vollenweider. Glorious! John McIlwain

  • Out of Stock
  • white sweet
  • 0 in stock
  • $44.99

Vollenweider 2019 Mosel Riesling Kröver Steffensberg Auslese GKA 375ml

The  stellar 2019er Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Auslese GK was made from 80% botrytized fruit picked at 126° Oechsle, and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (145 g/l) (per Mosel Fine Wines). The robe is a pale gold, The nose offers beguiling aromas of pear nectar, orange oil, quince, peach skin, and honeysuckle. The palate is rich and supple verging on unctuous, with magnificent honeyed notes and juicy stone fruit flavors with a streak of freshening acidity rippling beneath. The crystalline mineral character buoys the sweetness and and adds an almost racy character to the finish. This is a stellar Auslese and should age brilliantly for 25+ years. John McIlwain

  • Out of Stock
  • white sweet
  • 0 in stock
  • $47.99

Vollenweider 2019 Mosel Riesling Kröver Steffensberg Auslese GKA

The  stellar 2019er Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Auslese GK was made from 80% botrytized fruit picked at 126° Oechsle, and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (145 g/l) (per Mosel Fine Wines). The robe is a pale gold, The nose offers beguiling aromas of pear nectar, orange oil, quince, peach skin, and honeysuckle. The palate is rich and supple verging on unctuous, with magnificent honeyed notes and juicy stone fruit flavors with a streak of freshening acidity rippling beneath. The crystalline mineral character buoys the sweetness and and adds an almost racy character to the finish. This is a stellar Auslese and should age brilliantly for 25+ years. John McIlwain

  • Out of Stock
  • white sweet
  • 0 in stock
  • $84.99

  • Out of Stock
  • white sweet
  • 0 in stock
  • $87.99