Winery Erich Bollig & Sohn - Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese 1989 375ml

The Erich Bollig & Sohn - Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese 1989is an extremely rare treasure from the legendary "Apotheke" vineyard on the Middle Moselle. The wine, which is almost four decades old, is not available on the open market and only appears as an absolute rarity at specialised auctions. Below you will find the full report based on the information available.

📜 Introduction - The Erich Bollig & Sohn winery

Information on the "Erich Bollig & Sohn" winery itself, or at least on this specific wine, is very scarce. The name is not explicitly mentioned in the available sources, nor are there any direct historical details. This rarity is typical for wineries of this era, which often only produced on a small, family-run scale. The closely associated name Bollig-Lehnert, which markets the wines of today, is deeply rooted in the viticulture of Trittenheim:

• Centuries-old tradition: the Bollig family can look back on a winemaking tradition that goes back over 400 years.Records show that their ancestors were already producing first-class wines from the best vineyards in the Moselle valley more than 150 years ago.

• The Bollig-Lehnert winery: This modern business, which can be seen as the spiritual successor, is still based in Trittenheim today and cultivates the region's most legendary vineyards.

• Focus on Riesling: Then as now, the focus is clearly on the king grape of the Moselle, Riesling, from which the greatest and longest-lived wines in the world are made.

🌍 The location - Trittenheimer Apotheke

The Trittenheimer Apothekeis the centrepiece of this wine. It is one of the most prestigious and highest classified vineyard sites in the world and is listedby the VDP as a VDP.GROSSE LAGE.

• Extremely steep slope: The vines grow on a south-west facing steep slope with an average gradient of 40-60 per cent， in some places even over 70 per cent.

• Unique terroir: The terroir is characterised by deep, grey-blue Devonian slate. This rock is the key to the Apotheke's unique wines. The slate stores the sun's heat during the day and slowly releases it to the vines at night, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and fully. It also gives the Rieslings their unmistakable mineral flavour and a salty, deep character.

• Origin of the name: The name "Apotheke" is not due to the healing powers of the wine, but a corruption of the original name "Abteiberg", which belonged to the local monastery.

🍷 The 1989 vintage & the Beerenauslese predicate level

• An outstanding vintage: 1989 is considered one of the best vintages in German wine history. Warm, ideal conditions and the perfect development of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) produced wines of enormous concentration, balance and exceptionally long ageing potential.

• The predicate level Beerenauslese (BA): This predicate is only awarded in exceptional years such as 1989. For a BA, only fully ripe berries "affected" by noble rot are harvested in a strictly selected manner. This results in an extremely high concentration of sugar and complex flavours, which form the basis for one of the world's great, long-lasting sweet wines.

🥂 Tasting notes & enjoyment forecast (as of May 2026)

Although no direct tasting of this particular wine is available, similar wines from this site, profile and era paint a clear picture:

• Appearance: the colour will be a deep, bright golden yellow, with the first amber reflections already heralding long and worthy ageing.

• Nose: A multi-layered and intense bouquet of ripe, dried fruit such as apricot and peach blends with exotic notes such as pineapple and guava. The classic noble rot notes of honey, nuts and fine herbs are also evident . The steely, mineral slate note of the Apotheken vineyard will firmly surround this flavour and provide incredible depth.

• Palate: Despite its age of 37 years (1990 vintage), the wine displays a perfect harmony of sweetness and acidity on the palate .It is dense and complex, but at the same time incredibly delicate and elegant. The lively acidity gives it a youthful freshness that makes it appear lively and animating.

• Finish: The finish is of enormous length and persistence, characterised by a noble honey sweetness, fine spice and a salty, mineral core.

• Serving suggestions: This wine has reached its full maturity potential and is now in its most fantastic drinking window. It should be served at around 10-12°C. Enjoy it as the crowning glory of a meal or on its own as a meditation in itself.

📈 Market presence & collector's value - a rarity for connoisseurs

This wine is not available from regular retailers, but can only be found as a rare collector's item at auctions. The wine you have requested from Erich Bollig & Sohnis so rare that no direct sales or auction results are available. The available information refers to the (probably better known) neighbouring Grans-Fassianfrom the same vineyard, vintage and rating, which gives a good indication of the value and rarity of these rarities.

• Auction results (similar wines):

  • A lot of four bottles of Grans-Fassian Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese Goldkapsel 1989 was traded at Bonhamswith an estimate of £800-900 (around 900-1000 euros at the time) for the entire lot. This shows how sought-after and expensive the "standard" bottles alone are.

  • A lot containing a bottle of another Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese 1989 was sold atSkinner Auctioneers for $313(around 290 euros at the time). However, the bottle was described with clear defects ("signs of possible old seepage", "mostly unaffixed label"), which massively reduced the value.

• Current valuation: The Erich Bollig & Sohn is far more valuable than these comparable wines due to its extreme rarity. A fully preserved, flawless bottle ofthis wine, with a high fill level, clean label and intact cork, is sure to fetch a low to mid four-figure euro amount ata rarities auction today .

🔎 Conclusion

The Erich Bollig & Sohn - Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese 1989is a sheer one-off, a jewel of the absolute top class that combines the essence of a perfect Moselle vintage, one of the greatest vineyards in the world and a lost art of winemaking in one bottle. For the collector who is lucky enough to acquire this masterpiece, it is an opportunity to purchase a living, unadulterated piece of German wine culture at auction for a top price.