2018 Weingut Dr. Hermann Riesling Spatlese Alte Reben Goldcap Erdener Herzlei Mosel 750 ml

An ethereal distillation of the estate’s oldest vineyard, Dr. Hermann’s iconic old vine spätlese Riesling overflows with orchard-fresh, late-harvest splendor, which earned it the rare gold capsule: a special designation among German producers connoting rarity and ripeness. 

For collectors and white wine lovers of all stripes, it means one thing: buy on sight.

The bottle was received with fireworks from the critics, winning a huge 96-point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which declared: “This is a fabulous, tropically-flavored Herzlei that should be in the cellar of any serious Riesling aficionado.” Calling it a “highlight of my tastings,” the Advocate advised: “Quantities are rare here, so readers who are interested shouldn't hesitate.”

Normally it’s $55—and even then, you wouldn’t have much chance of sampling the flowery, flint-inflected nose and lush body unless you had a reservation at a Michelin-starred spot on either side of the Atlantic.

But we stepped in to pick up almost the entire American allocation—which totals roughly 40 cases… or just 480 bottles to be shared (read: hoarded) among the sommeliers, wine collectors, and thirsty Riesling fans from coast to coast. In spite of the rave 96-point praise, Wine Access members can land this bottle for an incredible price while our cases last.

Long and powerful, with rich, dense layers of ripe apricot, pear, and saffron, it’s got the mouth-watering pucker factor in spades. The zip and mineral drive cut right through the baby fat, leaving you with an impression of astounding purity. Mark one for your cellar and you could be enjoying this massively long-lived wine for another 20 years.

Alte Reben means old-vines—in fact, they’re the oldest vines on the prestigious Dr. Hermann estate, ungrafted and roughly 125 years-old, supplying gilded concentration. Growing in lei, German for the unique blue-gray slate of the historic, small Herzlei vineyard, gives the vines their finesse and mineral backbone.

Spätlese means “late harvest;” it’s not a dry wine, but because the acidity here is so penetrating yet delicate, it’s more like a whisper of sweetness—a sensation of weightiness leavened by citrus-kissed zest. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, there is not a whiff of oak here, clean and fresh all the way to the bone.

Only 8 barrels of this wine were ever produced. Thanks to our passion, today you can land this 96-point zinger for under $40.