Our First Ever German List

It was never a matter of if, but when. We’ve wanted to run a proper German list for years, but have never quite been able to amass the inventory—until now. With today’s surging prices across the global wine world, Germany has been largely shielded from the inflation, with very few exceptions. And while today’s list does contain blue chips and the next Riesling megastar, it spans the full range of price points, with several must-have values.

No proper German offer would be complete without the two pillars of the Riesling world: Keller and Müller. While the latter represents the pinnacle of Germany’s sweeter table wines, Keller is the opposite, producing the very best of the dry. We’ve had the privilege of drinking a few bottles of Abtserde recently, and can say with the utmost confidence that Klaus Peter is one of the greatest winemakers in the world today. His wines are to Riesling what Rayas is to Grenache, or DRC to Pinot.

For those looking for a less hefty investment, we’ve got a great collection of both historic producers and rising stars, all astonishingly easy on the wallet. Schäfer-Fröhlich has been gaining serious momentum in the last several years, and 2021 appears to be the breakthrough vintage that insiders saw coming. We’ve secured a sizeable allocation of the 2021 Bockenauer Felseneck GG, a wine boasting a 99-100 point score from The Wine Advocate. For only $125, it’s a ridiculous steal, with a long life ahead of it. We also have two other great dry wines from Schäfer-Fröhlich: the killer daily drinker Schiefergestein, and the truly epic Final. Not far behind S-F is Emrich-Schönleber, another excellent dry producer that we showcased earlier this year. While our allocation of these great wines has sadly shrunken, we’ve made up for it by expanding the range of cuvées available.

On the off-dry side of Riesling, we’ve got Peter Lauer and J.J. Prüm. The former has been a rising star for years now, with a reputation that’s only reaching new heights with each release. The latter is a true icon of German winemaking, known globally for producing some of the best Rieslings in the world at some of the most unbelievable prices, in the best possible way. Prüm’s 2021s are unreal, and should not be missed by both seasoned German collectors or bargain hunters.

Finally, we close with some outstanding values. To be blunt: if you’re not familiar with Max Kilburg’s wines, then you should be. As word gets out about this producer, their wines are becoming highly limited and sought-after, so it would be wise to grab some while you’re able to. And if you’re all set on Rieslings for the time being, we’re thrilled to bring back a couple more cases of Enderle & Moll’s much beloved Pinot Noirs. They’re a global sensation for a reason, folks: they give top Burgundy names a run for their money, and at a fraction of the cost.