Schloss Reinhartshausen - Erbacher Honigberg Riesling Cabinet 1959

Schloss Reinhartshausen - Erbacher Honigberg Riesling Cabinet 1959

1. Basic information & price

The Schloss Reinhartshausen - Erbacher Honigberg Riesling Cabinet 1959is a real rarity from the traditional Rheingau region. It is important to clarify that the following information refers to the related and very similar Beerenauslese (BA) from the same vintage:

• Wine type: White wine, noble sweet (Prädikat level: Cabinet / Beerenauslese)

• Grape variety: Riesling

• Origin: Rheingau, Germany

• Alcohol content: approx. 9.5 % vol. (estimated, based on comparable wines)

The Beerenauslese 1959 from Schloss Reinhartshausen is an extremely rare collector's wine. There is no information about a specific current market price for this exact bottling in the sources searched. A comparable rarity from the house, the Trockenbeerenauslese from the Erbacher Marcobrunn from 1959, is currently traded for € 2,650.00 (per 0.7 litre bottle), which corresponds to a price per litre of € 3,785.71.

2. Evaluation & drinking maturity

The wine has now reached a very mature age of over 65 years.

• Condition at auction: A batch of three bottles of Erbacher Honigberg Beerenauslese 1959 was offered at a Christie's auction . The condition of the bottles was described as "stained label", which is not unusual after such a long time.

• Ageing potential:Rheingau Riesling wines with residual sweetness are known for their enormous ageing potential and can often be stored for several decades. Another wine from the 1959 estate left a very lively impression: at a masterclass in 2018, a guest commented on the 1959 Rheinhell Riesling Auslese: "It is amazing how much more life the 1959 Auslese still has".

To summarise, if stored correctly, this wine can still be drinkable and develop a complex bouquet. However, it is at an advanced stage of maturity.

3. Assessment of the current condition

Finding a bottle of this wine today is a real sensation, as it is usually only found in old auction catalogues. Due to its age, its current condition is very much dependent on the often unknown storage conditions of the past decades. The acquisition of such a rarity is therefore always associated with a certain risk.

4. Background: The Schloss Reinhartshausen Winery

• Tradition: The winery can look back on over 680 years of history, dating back to 1337. This makes it one of the oldest wineries in the world and a firm pillar of Rheingau wine culture.

• Size: With over 80 hectares of vineyards, Schloss Reinhartshausen is the largest private wine estate in the Rheingau.

• Focus: The estate is primarily known for its world-famous Rieslings, which come from top vineyards such as Marcobrunn, Nussbrunnen and Wisselbrunnen.

• Ownership structure: The castle and vineyard can look back on an eventful past. A formative figure was Princess Marianne of Prussia, who took over the estate in 1855, and there is still a close relationship with Prussian nobility today, as demonstrated by the participation of "Prince Fritz of Prussia" (a descendant of Emperor Wilhelm II) in a masterclass in 2018. The current owner is Stefan Lergenmüller.

• Certification: The winery is a member of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP).

5. The Erbacher Honigberg site & the 1959 vintage

• Location:Erbach is a district of Eltville am Rhein (Hesse). The castle itself is located on the western outskirts of Erbach, directly on the Bundesstraße 42. The Honigberg vineyard is part of the large Rheingau vineyard of the same name. It is known for its mineral soils and its ability to produce long-lived Rieslings of great strength and firmness.

• Vintage 1959 in the Rheingau: 1959 is considered one of the great, legendary vintages of the 20th century for German Riesling. The wines from this vintage are known for their exceptional fullness, concentration and enormous ageing potential. These conditions made it possible to produce top-class Prädikat wines such as Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.

6. Summary

The Schloss Reinhartshausen - Erbacher Honigberg Riesling Cabinet 1959is an extremely rare collector's Riesling over 65 years old from an outstanding vintage and one of the noblest vineyards in the Rheingau. Specific current prices are not available, but comparable rarities from the estate are in the four-digit euro range. Its condition is uncertain due to its age, but a correctly stored bottle could well still offer a complex and lively flavour experience. Today, this jewel of German wine history is mainly found in auction catalogues.