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Johannisberg Castle and the SpätlesereiterImage: Deutsches Weininstitut
Johannisberg Castle and the Spätlesereiter. The story of the Spätlesereiter goes back to an 18th century legend. At that time, Johannisberg Castle in the Rheingau was still owned by the High Chapter of Fulda. In 1775, shortly before the grape harvest, the Johannisberg monks sent a mounted messenger to the prince abbot in Fulda to obtain permission from him to start the harvest. The messenger was late, and when he finally returned, the grapes had long since been attacked by noble rot (botrytis). The monks discovered that the wine from these grapes was particularly sweet and tasted excellent. The Spätlese was born. However, the story is not historically proven at all, and the wines were rather Auslesen, Beeren- and Trockenbeerenauslesen according to today's understanding. What is certain, however, is which grape variety it must have been. The vineyards of Schloss Johannisberg have been planted exclusively with Riesling since 1720.

Our Latest Ratings

Natural wineorange/amberdryGrauer Burgunder

2022 Gigemantel Grauburgunder Landwein

Thomas Harteneck, Schliengen

Germany

Badischer Landwein • Geschützte geografische Angabe (g. g. A.)

Lot number 229 24 • 14 % vol alcohol

17.5🯅

Tasted on 12 August 2026 by Werner Elflein

Salmon-pink. A delicate, caramel-like bouquet typical of Pinot Gris, with notes of toasted nuts, dried apricot and honeydew melon. An expressive example of the grape variety, which packs the power of 14 % alcohol into its body whilst still appearing very elegant. Juicy fruitiness and sweetness from the extract. Ripe, moderate acidity. Outstanding length. A hint of salted caramel on the finish.

18🯅

Tasted on 12 August 2026 by Julia Elflein

WineredsweetZweigelt

2022 Zweigelt Schilfwein

Angerhof Tschida, Illmitz

Austria

Burgenland

Staatliche Prüfnummer E 1952 24 • 7.5 % vol alcohol

18🯅

Tasted on 11 August 2026 by Werner Elflein

A transparent, light Bordeaux red with a delicate hint of violet. A fruit-driven bouquet with a broad palette of aromas, comprising a mix of fresh and dried fruits – predominantly red, but also some dark fruits. Alongside blackcurrant, sweet cherry and cocktail cherry, notes of raspberry, blueberry and black plum are also discernible. A distinct note of forest honey. As the nose moves away from the rim of the glass, the fruit becomes more subtle and delicately spicy nuances come to the fore. On the palate, this Schilfwein captivates with impressive elegance and clarity, a velvety texture, harmonious acidity and a sweetness that is not overly rich. Excellent length. A fairly subdued finish with hints of light nougat and toffee.

WinereddryBlauer Spätburgunder

2023 Spätburgunder “Tradition” Qualitätswein trocken

Dr. Heyden, Oppenheim

Germany

Rheinhessen • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)

Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 4387434 28 24 • 12 % vol alcohol

16.5🯅

Tasted on 9 August 2026 by Werner Elflein

A transparent, pale garnet red. It has now shed the reductive notes of its youth. A delicate Pinot aroma with good oak support and an intense bouquet of red fruit compote, with the aromas of fully ripe sweet and sour cherries standing out. Alongside this, a hint of cassis. A highly elegant Pinot Noir with the finest, velvety and coarse-grained tannins, which, given its modern interpretation of the grape variety, raises the question of why it bears the suffix “Tradition”. Stable acidity. Spicy. A core of sweet extract. Very good length and persistence.

16.5🯅

Tasted on 9 August 2026 by Julia Elflein

WinewhitedryGrauer Burgunder

2023 Zell-Weierbach Grauburgunder Granit Qualitätswein trocken

VDP.ORTSWEIN ®

Freiherr von und zu Franckenstein, Offenburg

Germany

Baden • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)

Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 506 18 24 • 12 % vol alcohol

16🯅

Tasted on 6 August 2026 by Werner Elflein

Straw-yellow in colour with bright highlights. A fruit-driven bouquet of apricot and pear with a floral touch and hints of walnut. Subtle green herbal notes in the background. Juicy and smooth on the palate. Elegant acidity. Full-bodied yet rather light on the palate. Very good length and persistence.

WinewhitedryWeißer Riesling

2021 Erbach Marcobrunn Riesling Qualitätswein trocken

VDP.GROSSE LAGE ® / VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS ®

Künstler, Hochheim am Main

Germany

Rheingau • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)

Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 40060 60 22 • 13 % vol alcohol

20🯅

Tasted on 5 August 2026 by Werner Elflein

A deep yellow-green colour with luminous highlights. A highly complex bouquet with the first, very subtle hints of maturity. Hints of stone fruit, particularly peach, and dried herbs. Probably due to the cool-climate vintage, this wine exhibits a tropical component that, whilst not necessarily typical of the vineyard site, is distinctly pronounced, with aromas of passion fruit. Delicate, exquisitely refined and elegant on the palate, with vibrant minerality. Energetic and full of tension. The ripe peach fruit is now in full, juicy splendour. Magnificent balance. With a lightness that effortlessly masks the 13 % alcohol. Delicate extract sweetness. Outstanding length and persistence. Unobtrusive perfection.

20🯅🕓

Tasted on 11 March 2024 by Werner Elflein

WinereddryFurmint

2023 Furmint vom Sandstein Landwein trocken

Herrenhof Lamprecht, Markt Hartmannsdorf

Austria

Steirerland • Geschützte geografische Angabe (g. g. A.)

Lot number 02/24 • 11.5 % vol alcohol

17🯅

Tasted on 1 August 2026 by Werner Elflein

In 2009, Gottfried Lamprecht began cultivating Furmint once again as a single variety, rather than as part of a blended wine. Pale lemon-yellow. A delicately smoky, reductive bouquet with vegetal notes, particularly of dried tomato with Italian herbs, floral hints and aromas reminiscent of a freshly mown meadow in midsummer and dried straw. In the background, hints of pink grapefruit, lime and blanched almonds. Light-bodied yet with great aromatic intensity on the palate. Very moderate, well-integrated acidity. Deep minerality. Maintains good presence right through to the finish. Subtle and elegant. Outstanding length.

Symbols
🯅The rating of the wine is based on a single taster. The taster is named in the context of the rating. The tasting was either open or blind. In case of a blind tasting, it is explicitly labelled as such.
🯅🯅The rating of the wine is based on two tasters. The tasters are named in the context of the rating. The tasting was carried out according to the four-eyes principle, in which both tasters agree on a joint rating.
🯅🯅🯅The rating is based on a tasting by our jury and indicates the Mean value calculated by us from the individual ratings of the tasters. Our mean value is based on the median.
⚖The wine was evaluated in a blind tasting. We have strict rules for blind tastings. The tasters do not receive any information that would allow them to identify the wines. The tasters are only given access to further information that goes beyond the subject matter if it is absolutely necessary for understanding the wines.
🕓We only had limited time to taste the wine  - typically during an open tasting event, such as a wine fair. It was therefore not possible to observe the development of the wine in the glass over a longer period of time. The informative value of our rating may therefore be limited under certain circumstances.
⛬The wine was tasted as a barrel sample or before an official test number (Amtliche Prüfungsnummer or Staatliche Prüfnummer) was issued. We only accept samples of unfilled wines in exceptional cases, and then only if we can assume sufficient stability in the bottle for a period of at least three months.
▲During our tasting, the wine showed conspicuous sensory characteristics. This does not necessarily have to be a wine fault. We categorise the quality and quantity of the abnormality and include it in the rating. Wine faults such as cork taint or an atypical ageing generally lead to a complete rejection.
Tastings that refer to the same bottle of a wine are visually summarised by a dotted line.

Our Latest Posts

Satire

Wellness for the Vineyards

Massage Techniques for Vines are Revolutionising Viticulture
Image: weinfreaks.de
In spring, even before the vines begin to bud, the first seasonal workers are already busy tending the vines in the Saar vineyards. At the famous Scharzhofberg, the focus is not on pruning or tilling the soil. Instead, you see the workers bent over the vines, massaging the wood with their hands just a few centimetres above the root zone.
Facts

The Rescue of Moselle Apollo and Steep-Slope Viticulture

Melanargia and Deutsche Umwelthilfe Have Lost at the Court, Rescue Measures for the Moselle Apollo are Effective
Image: Detlef Mader
At the end of 2023, we reported for the first time on the serious threat to the Moselle Apollo butterfly. In April 2025, a report was published on the feared imminent extinction of the unique knight butterfly and the absurd lawsuit brought by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Melanargia – Rheinisch-Westfälischer Lepidopterologen (AGL) and the Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) for a ban on helicopter spraying in steep-slope viticulture on the Moselle, which has since been rejected by the administrative courts in four rulings. Therefore, there are now renewed hope.
Facts

When Wine Disappears

On the Erosion of a Culture of Enjoyment
Image: Pixabay
Wine is more than just a matter of taste or fashion. It is a structural element of everyday life and has long been embedded in social rituals and cultural habits. In the post-war period, especially from the 1950s onwards, wine became a symbol of stability, routine and prosperity. The integration of wine into everyday life was not a luxury phenomenon, but rather an expression of the social and economic conditions of the time, which were characterised by predictable career paths, stable incomes and clear social milieus.
Comment

Dry January

Moral Imperative or Cultureless Dogmatism?
Image: Pixabay
At the beginning of each year, the collective abstinence parade known as Dry January begins anew. A whole month without alcohol, marketed as an act of self-control, as a contribution to physical regeneration, as a signal of a “sensible lifestyle”. Those who opt out of this ritual quickly find themselves under pressure to justify their decision. What appears to be a voluntary health initiative, however, on closer inspection turns out to be a media-driven standardisation project that suppresses enjoyment, culture and differentiation in favour of simple messages.
Obituary

Remembering Hans-Günter Schwarz

On the Death of the Legendary Winemaker
Image: Wikipedia
Germany's wine world is in mourning. Hans-Günter Schwarz passed away on 21 November 2025 at the age of 84. For decades, Schwarz was arguably the most prominent figure in the German wine scene. He established the international reputation of the Müller-Catoir winery and trained many young winemakers to become top producers. His achievements remain unrivalled to this day.
Comment

Terroir and Misunderstanding

Why the Grape Variety Matters
Image: weinfreaks.de
“A spectre is haunting the world of wine. Its name is terroir.” [translated] With these words, Reinhard Löwenstein once opened his famous essay “Vom Öchsle zum Terroir” (From Oechsle to Terroir), published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in October 2003. The article was preceded by years of discussion that had shaped the German wine scene since at least the late 1990s. Löwenstein's essay was of enormous importance to the discourse at the time. In many respects, it is still highly topical. Nevertheless, the headline itself contains a serious misunderstanding.
Tasting

Bordeaux: 2022 a Vintage of the Century?

Great Wines despite Great Drought
Image: weinfreaks.de
Apostrophising a vintage as the vintage of the century even before a centenary has passed may seem premature. However, with regard to the 2022s from the Bordeaux region, the assessment that exceptional wines were produced in that year is undoubtedly anything but bold. Of course, not all châteaux were able to triumph. Moreover, the 2022 was anything but a sure-fire success. The course of the vintage presented the winemakers with major challenges. However, in many cases, the result in the bottle can be downright inspiring. We tasted a cross-section of the vintage on the occasion of the presentation of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux at this year's ProWein.
Comment

ProWein in Decline

Large Drop in Exhibitors and Visitors at the International Wine Fair in Düsseldorf
Image: Messe Düsseldorf
In its press release, Messe Düsseldorf celebrates ProWein 2025 (16–18 March) as a success. However, the facts speak a different language. Only 4200 exhibitors, 20 per cent fewer than last year, were spread across the eleven exhibition halls. The number of visitors also fell, by a good ten per cent to 42000 compared to 2024. While the trade fair continues to emphasise the outstanding importance of ProWein for the international wine industry, the exodus of German wine producers in particular has reached a new dimension. Only around 900 exhibitors came from Germany in 2025.

A selection of our previous posts

Facts

Against Viticulture and for the Death of the Apollo Butterfly

Absurd Lawsuit against Rhineland-Palatinate
Image: Pixabay
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) is a non-profit organisation under German association law, but above all it is a group of lobbyists who receive state support for their activities. According to the online platform auto.de, this amounted to almost five million Euros in 2018. The DUH received further 2.5 million Euros from the lucrative business of issuing warning letters. DUH is now suing the state of Rhineland-Palatinate together with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Rheinisch-Westfälischer Lepidopterologen (AGL). Since 2011, the state's Ministry of Viticulture has repeatedly granted winegrowers in the Lower Moselle region exemptions for helicopter spraying, which is prohibited by law in the state.
Tasting

A Vision Lives On

From the Fuchs-Jacobus Winery to Gut Steyerberg
Image: Gut Steyerberg
As early as 1989, the Jacobus family cultivated their vineyards according to the guidelines of the Demeter Association, making them one of the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in Germany. Wilfried and Marlene Jacobus have now largely retired. Because their children did not want to take over the business, it was actually supposed to be sold. But things turned out differently. Thorben Bosse took over, and the Fuchs-Jacobus winery has since become Gut Steyerberg. Werner Elflein tasted a great wine collection and spoke with the new owner.
Satire

Warning Letters for Wineries

Do Vineyards Violate Personal Rights?
Image: Pixabay
Marcobrunn was the first Rheingau single vineyard to appear by name on a wine label. That was 1726. But now disaster is on the horizon. On behalf of a client from Munich, the Starnberg law firm Beuger & Winkel sent warning letters to several Rheingau wineries. The reason: 38-year-old low voltage electrician Marco Brunn believes his general personal rights have been violated.
Tasting

Better Matured with Screw Cap

Studies Prove the Disadvantages of Natural Cork
Image: weinfreaks.de
Numerous studies by renowned research institutes from all over the world have been proving for years and decades that wines benefit just as much from a screw cap as they do from a natural cork, provided the latter is of good quality. Cork taint, tannin ingress, oxidation, runners, crumbling material, limited shelf life – the list of shortcomings of natural corks is long. Nevertheless, thanks to a deep emotional bond between winemakers and wine drinkers that cannot be explained rationally, the traditional stopper is still usually the first choice, especially for high-quality wines.
Facts

Pesticides or Climate Change?

Population of the Apollo Butterfly on the Lower Moselle Endangered
Image: Pixabay

In the biological nomenclature, the Apollo butterfly is listed under the name Paranassius apollo. In the Lower Moselle valley, the subspecies Paranassius apollo vinningensis lives mainly in the steep vineyards between the municipality of Winningen and neighbouring Kobern. For a long time, the Apollo butterfly symbolised the successful coexistence of ecology and viticulture. But now the butterfly species is seriously endangered. New pesticides that have been used in viticulture for the past ten years are said to be to blame. On closer inspection, however, the connections are much more complex.

Tasting

25 Vintages Estate Riesling

Robert Weil Impresses with a Vertical of a Special Kind
Image: weinfreaks.de
In case of the Robert Weil estate, most wine journalists agree: it is one of the best Riesling producers in Germany. However, there was and is not only praise in the wine scene. Especially in the area of litre wines and estate Rieslings, there is always criticism of fillings that do not meet the high standards of the house. An on-site tasting in August 2018 at least answered the question of what excellence the winery is capable of.
Tasting

Der Klitzekleine Ring Hits the VDP

Steep Slope Rescue on Behalf of Riesling
Image: Deutsches Weininstitut
The Bernkasteler Ring, also known as the Kleiner Ring, was founded in 1899 as an association of winery owners from the Middle Moselle. Since 1901, it has organized wine auctions for its members. It is thus the oldest society in the region to hold wine auctions. Today, the Bernkasteler Ring also includes estates on the Saar and Ruwer rivers. A few years later, in 1908, the Großer Ring formed as a second large winegrowers' association, which first auctioned wines in 1910. The Großer Ring later gave rise to the regional Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer, now the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP). A completely different approach is taken by Der klitzekleine Ring, founded in 2005. As the name suggests, the group, which currently comprises ten wineries, does not take itself too seriously.
Tasting

… at the End, the Germans Always Win

The Pinot Noir Country Competition
Image: Pixabay
Although the Pinot Noir is better suited than any other red wine variety to produce unique and incomparable, elegant, finesse-rich and multi-layered wines in a comparatively cool climate, after the Second World War German winegrowers mainly produced pale-coloured, thin drinks smelling of raspberry syrup. It was not until the 1980s that a few ambitious German winegrowers began to think about cultivating and developing Pinot Noir. They drastically reduced yields, separated from inferior high-yielding clones and perfected barrique ageing. Only gradually did this work bear fruit. Today, as our blind tasting shows, German Pinot Noirs are quite capable of not only catching up with their Burgundian competitors, but in some cases even surpassing them in quality.