Graacher Domprobst Vineyard looking down towards Bernkastel-KuesGerman wine is often one of the final frontiers of knowledge and mastery for enthusiastic wine drinkers. The amount of world class vineyards is overwhelming and akin to what one experiences in trying to master the crus of Burgundy, on top of the fact that these vineyards have challenging names which are usually interwoven with the name of the village in which they reside. The styles of wine from each site can vary immensely based on terroir and the wine making practices of each producer (Kabinett vs Spatlese, dry vs off dry, etc.). Over the next few Sundays we’re going to tackle this complexity head on by featuring a sale on a few of the most famous vineyards in German wine. This is your opportunity to strap in and learn just what makes these sites so special, all while picking up a few bottles at prices that can’t be beat.
Last week, we discussed Graacher Himmelreich; a vineyard with unique generosity, grace, and brightness in its wines. This week we’re going to focus on its regal neighbor.
Let’s continue…..with Graacher Domprobst.
Tucked just beside Graacher Himmelreich lies Graacher Domprobst, a vineyard that could not feel more different despite sharing the same slope and slate. Where Himmelreich charms with its grace and accessibility, Domprobst commands attention through depth, structure, and brooding intensity. The name itself—referring to the “Provost of the Cathedral”—speaks to a certain authority, and indeed, these wines stand as the more serious, powerful counterpart within the village of Graach. The slope here is steeper, the soils slightly deeper and more weathered, giving rise to wines of profound concentration and tension.
If Himmelreich is the melody, Domprobst is the harmony beneath it—darker, more resonant, and endlessly complex. The wines tend to be firmer in youth, with tightly coiled minerality and a more pronounced smoky, herbal character. Over time, these edges soften, revealing deep seams of citrus oil, ripe stone fruit, and wet slate. There’s a gravitas to Domprobst Rieslings that few other Mosel vineyards can match; even decades later, they retain a pulsating energy that defines the best of the region. The off-dry Prädikat bottlings are effectively immune to the touch of time.
Willi Schaefer’s bottlings from Domprobst are perhaps the purest articulation of this character. Compared to his ethereal Himmelreich wines, his Domprobst expressions are weightier, more tactile—like the difference between silk and velvet. Yet they never lose their balance or poise. There’s an unmistakable cooling depth to Schaefer’s Domprobst bottlings, a deepness which draws you inward to uncover different textural layers. To continue our musical metaphor, Schaefer’s Himmelreich is a violin, while his Domprobst is a sonorous cello. Each vintage shows a masterclass in controlled power, the sweetness perfectly met by minerality and freshness.
Markus Molitor, with his meticulous approach and wide range of ripeness levels, showcases just how versatile Domprobst can be. His dry versions emphasize slate and structure, while the sweeter Prädikat wines glow with exotic fruit and crystalline acidity. Molitor’s touch highlights the vineyard’s muscular side without sacrificing elegance, proving that Domprobst is as multifaceted as it is monumental.
If Graacher Himmelreich represents the Mosel’s heavenly charm, Graacher Domprobst is its cathedral—solemn, majestic, and built to endure. The two vineyards are inseparable in geography yet distinct in spirit: Himmelreich all luminous grace, Domprobst all quiet strength. Together, they define the very soul of Graach, showing how a few meters of slope can produce Rieslings as different—and as divine—as night and day.
Last week, we discussed Graacher Himmelreich; a vineyard with unique generosity, grace, and brightness in its wines. This week we’re going to focus on its regal neighbor.
Let’s continue…..with Graacher Domprobst.
Tucked just beside Graacher Himmelreich lies Graacher Domprobst, a vineyard that could not feel more different despite sharing the same slope and slate. Where Himmelreich charms with its grace and accessibility, Domprobst commands attention through depth, structure, and brooding intensity. The name itself—referring to the “Provost of the Cathedral”—speaks to a certain authority, and indeed, these wines stand as the more serious, powerful counterpart within the village of Graach. The slope here is steeper, the soils slightly deeper and more weathered, giving rise to wines of profound concentration and tension.
If Himmelreich is the melody, Domprobst is the harmony beneath it—darker, more resonant, and endlessly complex. The wines tend to be firmer in youth, with tightly coiled minerality and a more pronounced smoky, herbal character. Over time, these edges soften, revealing deep seams of citrus oil, ripe stone fruit, and wet slate. There’s a gravitas to Domprobst Rieslings that few other Mosel vineyards can match; even decades later, they retain a pulsating energy that defines the best of the region. The off-dry Prädikat bottlings are effectively immune to the touch of time.
Willi Schaefer’s bottlings from Domprobst are perhaps the purest articulation of this character. Compared to his ethereal Himmelreich wines, his Domprobst expressions are weightier, more tactile—like the difference between silk and velvet. Yet they never lose their balance or poise. There’s an unmistakable cooling depth to Schaefer’s Domprobst bottlings, a deepness which draws you inward to uncover different textural layers. To continue our musical metaphor, Schaefer’s Himmelreich is a violin, while his Domprobst is a sonorous cello. Each vintage shows a masterclass in controlled power, the sweetness perfectly met by minerality and freshness.
Markus Molitor, with his meticulous approach and wide range of ripeness levels, showcases just how versatile Domprobst can be. His dry versions emphasize slate and structure, while the sweeter Prädikat wines glow with exotic fruit and crystalline acidity. Molitor’s touch highlights the vineyard’s muscular side without sacrificing elegance, proving that Domprobst is as multifaceted as it is monumental.
If Graacher Himmelreich represents the Mosel’s heavenly charm, Graacher Domprobst is its cathedral—solemn, majestic, and built to endure. The two vineyards are inseparable in geography yet distinct in spirit: Himmelreich all luminous grace, Domprobst all quiet strength. Together, they define the very soul of Graach, showing how a few meters of slope can produce Rieslings as different—and as divine—as night and day.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock selections from Graacher Domprobst
10% off any 6 or more in-stock selections from Graacher Domprobst
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
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Sale ends Wednesday, October 22nd at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 6 or more in-stock selections from Graacher Domprobst
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Wednesday, October 22nd at 9 am Pacific.
We offer many wines from Graacher Domprobst, including:
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 14 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “According to Christophe Schaefer, the 2018 Domprobst Auslese AP #11 has just a tiny touch of botrytis in it, as it has almost exclusively been produced from golden berries. The wine is truly stunning on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet soaring from the glass in a blaze of pear, yellow plum, fresh pineapple, a gorgeous base of slate, citrus blossoms, bee pollen and lilacs. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and zesty, with a lovely core, great backend mineral drive and outstanding complexity and grip on the vibrant, snappy and electric finish. This is just beautiful Auslese! 2026-2085+. 95.”
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #14 2018 375ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 96 points “The 2018 Domprobst Auslese AP #14 is also an outstanding wine in the making, with just a touch more fruit-driven personality than the AP #11 version. The bouquet is very expressive out of the blocks, offering up a gorgeous mix of pear, mirabelle, tangerine, slate, gentle notes of honeycomb and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, fullbodied and absolutely loaded with beautiful fruit on the attack and mid-palate, with a lovely undertow of slate, great focus and grip and a long, zesty and beautifully balanced finish. This is another breathtakingly beautiful Auslese from the estate in 2018! 2026-2085. 96.”
Vinous 94 points ““This came from more concentrated material [than the A.P. #11] with a higher percentage of botrytis,” explained Schaefer. Quince jelly, marzipan and penetratingly pungent anise and caraway distillates inform the nose and the glossy, glycerol-rich palate. Intriguingly, though – perhaps as a function of botrytis influence – there is an underlying firmness of texture in contrast with A.P. #11’s creaminess. I was not wrong in anticipating a confectionary finish, but from somewhere the wine also manages to pull a counteracting modicum of primary pear and apple juiciness to balance its richness and sweetness. Moreover, a sense of bittersweet green herbal concentration enhances the balance and complexity of this remarkably persistent libation. It should prove especially fascinating and worthwhile to follow (though certainly you don’t have to be in a pinch to open a bottle now).”
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese #5 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 1 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “The kind of concentration you normally associate with BA and TBA has been miraculously crammed into this sleek silhouette of a Spätlese. It also has a diamond-like brilliance that is mesmerizing. The super mineral finish doesn’t want to stop! Drink or hold.”
Mosel Fine Wines 96 points “The 2017er Graacher Domprobst Spätlese AP 05 displays a magnificent and beautifully expressive nose of yellow peach, smoke, aniseed herbs, almond, raspberry and much more. The wine shines through its gorgeous depth and intensity on the palate. A racy but juicy and ripe acidity makes for a stunningly focused, pure and smoky feel in the long finish. The after-taste is tight and incredibly pure. This mind boggling Spätlese in the making only needs a decade to show its full potential! 2027-2057.”
Markus Molitor Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese** (Gold Capsule) 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “The golden-yellow colored 2019 Graacher Domprobst Auslese ** (Golden Capsule) is intense yet very clear and fresh with lemon juice aromas and dark-toned notes of crushed flint stone. Lush and refined on the vivacious and remarkably finessed palate, this is a light, round and fleshy, textured and mouth-filling Domprobst with very fine tannins, delicate mineral acidity and lingering salinity. Promising and with stimulating, crystalline grip but still far too young. Tasted from AP 92 20 in May 2021.”
Markus Molitor Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese** (White Capsule) 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “A deep, coolish, flinty and complex nose opens the 2019 Graacher Domprobst Auslese ** (White Capsule). Full-bodied, crystalline, enormously salty and piquant on the palate, this is a rich and round yet dramatic, refined and linear Domprobst with fine tannins and a long, intense and aromatic finish. Tasted in May 2021.”
Markus Molitor Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.80 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 15 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2018 Riesling Graacher Domprobst Kabinett (White Capsule) is deep and flinty on the terroir-driven, dark and smoky nose. Full, round and juicy on the palate, this is a rich yet pure and slatey Domprobst with crunchy grip and fruity intensity. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
Decanter 90 points “South-southwest-facing steepness defines the Domprobst, as does some water-holding clay in the Devonian slate. An exquisitely aromatic nose combines ripe Amalfi lemon and Granny Smith with a floral notion of white summer blossom. The nose alone delivers refreshment. The palate bursts with the same fresh, pristine but notably ripe fruit. This is a mellow Kabinett with bright but tame acidity, not typical maybe, but nonetheless compelling. The finish is dry and beautifully stony.”
