2002 Robert Weil, Kiedricher Gräfenberg, Riesling Eiswein - Rheingau Grosse Lage - 5 Sticle (0.75L)

Weingut Robert Weil is a wine producer in the Rheingau region of Germany. It makes a range of varietal Riesling wines which are considered by many to be some of the best in Germany. These range from dry Kabinett wines to sweet, rich Trockenbeerenauslese wines made from Botrytis-infected grapes.

Weingut Robert Weil has four tiers of quality (all falling within the Prädikat designation). The top wine is the Grosse Lage Riesling sourced from Gräfenberg, the finest vineyard site. Wines that come from this vineyard tend to be the most expressive and age-worthy in the Robert Weil portfolio.

The Erste Lage are wines sourced from the other two vineyard sites, Klosterberg and Turmberg. Robert Weil also makes a village-level wine, from multiple vineyard sites, and an entry-level wine made from grapes sourced outside the three classified hillside vineyards.

The estate is composed of 90 hectares (222 acres) of vineyards, planted entirely to Riesling. The famous village of Kiedrich is known for its steep, south-facing hillsides and distinctive, stony soils, and grapes are sourced mainly from three elevated vineyards – Klosterberg, Turmberg, and Gräfenberg. The Weils were pioneers of sustainable practices in the Rheingau, using green cover crops, organic fertilizer, and no herbicides. Grapes are hand-harvested and the wines are produced with minimal intervention in the cellar.

Dr. Robert Weil first purchased vineyards in Kiedrich in 1867. At the time, he was a professor of German at the Sorbonne University in Paris, but with the start of the Franco-Prussian War, he was forced to leave France and settle in the Rheingau. In 1875, he acquired a manor and more vineyard holdings, and began producing wine. The Riesling became popular and helped put German Riesling on the international map.