Robert Weil Riesling Monte Vacano

Known since the 15th century, and originally from the Lombardy, the Vacanos are a family of traders and lawyers who left their unsteady home in the 17th century and settled north on the Rhine [Koblenz] and the Mosel [Trier]. In 1786, Emperor Joseph II appoints the Vacanos to the hereditary knighthood »Edle von Vacano« [»Noble of Vacano «]. Dr. Robert Weil and his wife Emilie, from the »Edle von Vacano« family founded Weingut Dr. Robert Weil in Kiedrich in 1875. From 1875 onwards, they purchased selected parcels from various wineries in the hillside vineyards of Kiedrich.

Among them is one of the most prestigious pieces, which used to be owned by the Count of Fürstenberg, the so called »Lay« [»Rock« or »Slate« in the linguistic usage of the middle rhine area]. The purchase of this unique, steep parcel was done by using the marriage-portion of the Vacano Family for Emilie. From that time on the »Lay«, as a lieu-dit of the Gräfenberg, was given the honorary title MONTE VACANO within the family, and the wines from the »Lay« were an exclusive family affair, as they never hit the market. They were poured on the happy, but also on the sad family celebrations of the Weil and the Vacano family at the Rhine and the Mosel. With the death of Dr. Robert Weil, this family affair and the MONTE VACANO felt into oblivion. For the first time since 1921 a very limited amount of bottles of this high class dry Riesling have been vinified as the Icon-Brand MONTE VACANO.

2019

Wine Advocate 96: Aged on the full lees over two winters and racked in late July this year (so after 22 months sur lie), the 2019 Monte Vacano is deep, intense and refined on the iodine and flinty, highly complex and precise nose that represents the phyllite terroir of the steep Lay plot of the Gräfenberg amazingly well, especially after a day in the opened bottle. On the palate, this is a highly elegant, crystalline, enormously complex, dense, round and rich as well as juicy Riesling that reveals a firm and sustainable structure with fine tannins from renewed large oak barrels that also add a certain sweetness to the finish that is enormously salty, long and tensioned. This is another impressive Riesling from the Gräfenberg, and it is richer and more powerful than the more filigreed Burg Scharfensteiner.

James Suckling 99: This starts as discreetly as Ravel’s Bolero, the peachy aromas of the Rheingau now just beginning to emerge from behind their veil of yeast from the long maturation in barrel. Then this wine, like Bolero, steadily climbs to a very exciting and expressive conclusion. Then you experience the mineral side of this grape and region in great purity.

2020

Wine Advocate 95+: From the coolest part of the Gräfenberg and aged on the full lees for 21 months, the 2020 Monte Vacano is pure, fresh and slatey on the intense but fragrant nose. On the palate, this is a dense, highly energetic, finely tannic, substantial, slightly creamy yet very persistent and stimulatingly salty Riesling with lots of grip and complexity yet still not showing all of its potential. Very promising, though. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork.

James Suckling 98: Enormously concentrated and structured, this giant dry riesling is only just beginning to open. There’s plenty of candied citrus here, but the more balsamic notes are what give it the excitement (also because they aren’t exactly typical for this generally charming vintage). Enormous textural complexity and a long, dark mineral finish. Limited production. Bottled after 22 months on the full lees in large neutral oak without sulfur.