The terroir of the Graacher Himmelreich can be described as excellent. Weathered, mineral-rich Devonian slate characterizes the vine sites around Graach. The heat-storing properties of the slate and the south to south-west orientation of the steep slopes enable a good ripening in late summer and into October. In 2021 there was far too much rainfall from bud break, flowering and into autumn, which increased the fungal pressure enormously and led to an extremely large amount of work for the winegrowers in terms of plant protection. Ripening was also not uniform in many vineyard plots, which required additional manual work from the winegrower.
Markus Molitor awards his Auslese wines up to three stars, according to the classification of value. Over the years, there have been many Auslese wines with three and also two stars of the Graacher Himmmelreich. Markus Molitor, known for his absolute commitment to quality, made a fruity, sweet 1-star Riesling Auslese from the Graacher Himmelreich from the 2021 vintage. This suggests that 2021 was probably very challenging in the site Graacher Himmelreich. Nevertheless, a very beautiful wine was created, which I would give a little more time to mature.
2021 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese *, Markus Molitor (Tasted wines)
Grape-like on the nose with a hint of dried fruit, on the palate with delicate sweetness, fine acidity, delicately bitter grapefruit, and yellow fruit and herbal-spicy notes. Saline and delicately bitter on the very beautiful, long finish. Elegant, excellent wine.