Germany · Mosel

Willi Schaefer

Willi Schaefer is a small family estate in Graach on the Mosel, farming approximately 3.5 hectares across two of the Middle Mosel's most prized vineyards: Graacher Domprobst and Graacher Himmelreich, both comprising steep blue Devonian slate slopes that impart hallmark Mosel minerality and precision. Willi and Christoph Schaefer produce a range of Prädikats from Kabinett through Beerenauslese entirely without Süssreserve addition, relying on arrested fermentation to retain natural sweetness. The Domprobst Auslese averages $56 across 49 lots, the most traded wine; the Domprobst Spätlese Nr.5—a specific barrel selection—averages $162, reflecting the premium attached to single-barrel Prädikats. The Domprobst Auslese Nr.14 averages $154 across 8 lots. The Beerenauslese at $268 documents the estate's rare high-Prädikat production. At 190 lots averaging $82, Willi Schaefer is a well-regarded Mosel estate commanding prices typical of the appellation's most respected small growers. The estate's extreme scarcity—3.5 hectares, all traditional Riesling—and consistent critical praise from David Schildknecht sustain collector demand disproportionate to the volume produced. The 2005 and 2009 vintages are particularly sought-after in the auction record, reflecting the Mosel's outstanding years for both dry and sweet Riesling styles. The estate's refusal to expand production despite substantial secondary-market demand is a deliberate decision that sustains the scarcity premium across all Prädikats, particularly the numbered single-barrel selections that command three times the standard wine's price.