Your top five German wine producers

[P_L_owet]

We own much less than most of the posters here do. That said:
JJ Prum
Donnhoff
F. Haag
M. Molitor

I’ve been surprised by the degree that US buyers are not dissuaded by tariffs for their 2019 purchase decisions. I realize that German Riesling is still a good relative value in the wine world, but I’m bummed that many favorites are no longer in my “everyday” price range. We’re drinking more than we’re buying – I wish that were true in other parts of the cellar, but it’s going to be a problem soon here.
Regards,
Peter

[Jim_Hanlon]

We own much less than most of the posters here do. That said:
JJ Prum
Donnhoff
F. Haag
M. Molitor

I’ve been surprised by the degree that US buyers are not dissuaded by tariffs for their 2019 purchase decisions. I realize that German Riesling is still a good relative value in the wine world, but I’m bummed that many favorites are no longer in my “everyday” price range. We’re drinking more than we’re buying – I wish that were true in other parts of the cellar, but it’s going to be a problem soon here.
Regards,
Peter

For QPR and availability, Richter is a name to know.

[Eric_Ifune]

JJ Prum
Muller Catoir
Donnhoff
Gunderloch (Knew Fritz Hasselbach RIP)
Burklin Wolf

[David_Bu3ker]

JJ Prum
Muller Catoir
Donnhoff
Gunderloch (Knew Fritz Hasselbach RIP)
Burklin Wolf

HGS Catoir?

[Luca_Giupponi]

For someone like me who’s just getting into riesling, this is a fascinating thread! What are your top online retailers you source from? It’s hard for me to find anything decent in mid Michigan. I apologize if this is thread drift.

[Eric_Ifune]

HGS Catoir?

Mainly. The first time I lived in Europe was during his tenure. I lived 30 minutes away from Neustadt. The second time was from 1999-2003. Would buy cases annually.

[maureen_nelson]

JJ Prum (19.82%)
Selbach-Oster (10.75% - I confess I drink a lot of these so holdings are down)
Willi Schaefer (7.84%)
Richter (7.73% - average age of these young as I have bought a lot recently)
Dr Loosen (6.27 %)

Next five are Fritz Haag, Von Schubert, Vollenweider, Muller-Catoir (I still have 34 bottles, and 18 are from 2001 and earlier, Jay), and Schloss Lieser. One producer I don’t buy much anymore is Donnhoff, which has dropped to #12 with only 25;bottles left. They got too expensive.

[Brian_Pinci]

1. Prum
2. Richter
3. Falkenstein
4. Molitor
5. Selbach Oster

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

1. Schaefer-Frohlich (by a reasonable distance)
2. Willi Schaefer
3. Selbach Oster
4. von Schubert
5. Probably Donnhoff, but recent vintages of Weiser-Kunstler may change that.

I don’t have Keller here mostly because I’ve not had enough of it to be able to definitively place it in my hierarchy as I can’t quite justify paying the prices.

Greg, yes the focus and hype are on the GGs from Keller. But their other wines don’t cost an arm and a leg and are delicious, e.g Limestone and RR.

Depending on the vintage, sometimes declassified GG fruit makes it into the lower tier cuvees. IIRC, the 2018 Von Der Fels had a higher percentage of declassified Pettenthal than usual.

[Kelly_Walker]

I read the topic to ask for the top five producers by preference vs in the cellar though I guess the top five in ones cellar likely reflects the top five by preference. I would have a lot of Keller in the cellar if they were more affordable. My favorite by my own purchasing over the last 4-5 years has been Von Winning. I have a good bit of Muller-Catoir, Shaefer-Frohlich and Selbach-Oster in the cellar.

[David_Bu3ker]

I read the topic to ask for the top five producers by preference vs in the cellar though I guess the top five in ones cellar likely reflects the top five by preference. I would have a lot of Keller in the cellar if they were more affordable. My favorite by my own purchasing over the last 4-5 years has been Von Winning. I have a good bit of Muller-Catoir, Shaefer-Frohlich and Selbach-Oster in the cellar.

Howard asked for “holdings” which is clearly inventory.

[Kelly_Walker]

I read the topic to ask for the top five producers by preference vs in the cellar though I guess the top five in ones cellar likely reflects the top five by preference. I would have a lot of Keller in the cellar if they were more affordable. My favorite by my own purchasing over the last 4-5 years has been Von Winning. I have a good bit of Muller-Catoir, Shaefer-Frohlich and Selbach-Oster in the cellar.

Howard asked for “holdings” which is clearly inventory.

Like I said, I was going by just the topic.

[David_Bu3ker]

I read the topic to ask for the top five producers by preference vs in the cellar though I guess the top five in ones cellar likely reflects the top five by preference. I would have a lot of Keller in the cellar if they were more affordable. My favorite by my own purchasing over the last 4-5 years has been Von Winning. I have a good bit of Muller-Catoir, Shaefer-Frohlich and Selbach-Oster in the cellar.

Howard asked for “holdings” which is clearly inventory.

Like I said, I was going by just the topic.

As in title…got it.

[A_Gillette]

Depending on the vintage, sometimes declassified GG fruit makes it into the lower tier cuvees. IIRC, the 2018 Von Der Fels had a higher percentage of declassified Pettenthal than usual.

Guessing at what you mean by lower tier cuvees, but the RR always comes from a specific section of Kirchspiel - the red slate. It is a single vineyard wine. I have no idea if the RR section could be designated GG, but it is definitely different than the rest of Kirchspiel. I’m glad he bottles it separately (and that it is about half the price of the GG). As far as I know, the von der fels comes from sections of the Westhofen GG vineyards that can’t be labeled as GG. I believe it is also mainly kirchspiel, but might have other vineyards as well. I didn’t know it had the Nierstein vineyards. I thought any Pettenthal that didn’t go into the GG or the pradikat wines (along with any Hipping) was now in the bottling labelled “Nierstien”, but I’ve never seen a bottle in the US.

Anyone care to elaborate?

A

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

Depending on the vintage, sometimes declassified GG fruit makes it into the lower tier cuvees. IIRC, the 2018 Von Der Fels had a higher percentage of declassified Pettenthal than usual.

Guessing at what you mean by lower tier cuvees, but the RR always comes from a specific section of Kirchspiel - the red slate. It is a single vineyard wine. I have no idea if the RR section could be designated GG, but it is definitely different than the rest of Kirchspiel. I’m glad he bottles it separately (and that it is about half the price of the GG). As far as I know, the von der fels comes from sections of the Westhofen GG vineyards that can’t be labeled as GG. I believe it is also mainly kirchspiel, but might have other vineyards as well. I didn’t know it had the Nierstein vineyards. I thought any Pettenthal that didn’t go into the GG or the pradikat wines (along with any Hipping) was now in the bottling labelled “Nierstien”, but I’ve never seen a bottle in the US.

Anyone care to elaborate?

A

Sorry you’re right. It was actually some Kirchspiel fruit that was declassified for the Von Der Fels. Not Pettenthal. Just looked at Gilman’s notes.

[A_Gillette]

Depending on the vintage, sometimes declassified GG fruit makes it into the lower tier cuvees. IIRC, the 2018 Von Der Fels had a higher percentage of declassified Pettenthal than usual.

Guessing at what you mean by lower tier cuvees, but the RR always comes from a specific section of Kirchspiel - the red slate. It is a single vineyard wine. I have no idea if the RR section could be designated GG, but it is definitely different than the rest of Kirchspiel. I’m glad he bottles it separately (and that it is about half the price of the GG). As far as I know, the von der fels comes from sections of the Westhofen GG vineyards that can’t be labeled as GG. I believe it is also mainly kirchspiel, but might have other vineyards as well. I didn’t know it had the Nierstein vineyards. I thought any Pettenthal that didn’t go into the GG or the pradikat wines (along with any Hipping) was now in the bottling labelled “Nierstien”, but I’ve never seen a bottle in the US.

Anyone care to elaborate?

A

Sorry you’re right. It was actually some Kirchspiel fruit that was declassified for the Von Der Fels. Not Pettenthal. Just looked at Gilman’s notes.

It’s pretty darn good regardless!
A

[Ethan_Abraham]

Top 5 roughly equal -
Willi schaefer
Shafer frohlich
Keller
Prum
Lauer

[LoriMcLaughlin]

44 different German producers

Majority in two producers (36+ bottles/per producer):
Donnhoff
J.J. Prum

Next three:
Von Schubert
Selbach-Oster
St. Urbanshof

We spent a lot of time in Germany with hubby’s job, so we were fortunate to try a number of different producers.

[Kevin_G]

Hofgut Falkenstein
Willi Schaefer
Selbach-Oster
Prüm
Dönnhoff

Used to buy a lot more Von Hövel, Gunderloch, Langwerth von Simmern, and Dr. Loosen. I still enjoy these when bottles are pulled from storage.

[J_Rock]

For someone like me who’s just getting into riesling, this is a fascinating thread! What are your top online retailers you source from? It’s hard for me to find anything decent in mid Michigan. I apologize if this is thread drift.

I don’t know what ships to you, but living in CA, I like the Riesling selections at K&L Wines, Wine House, Woodland Hills Wine Company, and JJ Buckley.