Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich is one of the leading estates of the Rheingau, and it grows nothing but Riesling. From the steep slopes above the village come bone dry Grosses Gewächs, classic Kabinett and Spätlese, and nobly sweet Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese under the estate's gold capsule.
Robert Weil: from a Paris professor to a Rheingau benchmark
Dr. Robert Weil was teaching German at the Sorbonne in Paris when he bought his first vines in the Kiedricher Berg in 1867. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and 1871 brought him back to Germany, and in 1875 he founded the estate on the former manor of the English art patron Sir John Sutton in Kiedrich. Its Spätlese and Auslese soon reached imperial and royal courts across Europe, where they were treated as white counterparts to the great red Bordeaux. The estate joined the VDP in 1907.
Since 1988 the Japanese drinks group Suntory has owned the estate, and its investment helped expand the vineyards to around 90 hectares. Wilhelm Weil, great-grandson of the founder and the fourth generation of the family, has run Weingut Robert Weil since 1987.
Kiedrich Gräfenberg, Turmberg and Klosterberg: the Robert Weil vineyards
The Gräfenberg is the flagship site, a VDP.Grosse Lage first documented in the twelfth century. Its southwest facing slopes reach a gradient of up to 60 percent on phyllite slate with loess and loam, and Weil owns most of the vineyard. It gives the Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs, once labelled Erstes Gewächs, as well as the estate's greatest sweet wines.
The Turmberg and the Klosterberg are classified VDP.Erste Lage. The Turmberg is a stony crag of phyllite with thin topsoil, and its wines are taut and mineral, whether as a dry Riesling, as Spätlese and Auslese, or as a Brut Nature Sekt. The Klosterberg completes the trio with the dry Kiedricher Klosterberg Riesling.
Monte Vacano, Monte Nostrum and the dry Robert Weil Rieslings
Monte Vacano comes from a plot of about half a hectare in the Gräfenberg, rich in phyllite slate. Dr. Weil acquired it through his wife's dowry from the Vacano family, and the wine was once kept for the two families. The tradition lapsed in the 1920s and was revived with the 2018 vintage. Monte Nostrum, from the coolest parcels of the Kiedrich slopes, is the newest dry wine: the 2022 vintage was released in 2024 through the Place de Bordeaux, under the estate's original label from 1875.
Further down the range, the Rheingau Riesling Kabinett comes trocken, halbtrocken and in the classic fruity style. The Tradition is an off-dry Riesling modelled on the Rheingau wines of the past, which were not fermented fully dry. There is also a Rheingau Sekt Brut Nature.
Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from Kiedrich
Noble sweet Riesling is where Robert Weil made its name, and it is still the heart of the estate. The harvest runs over several weeks with many selective passes through the vineyard, and botrytised grapes are sorted by their degree of noble rot. From the Gräfenberg come Spätlese, Auslese Goldkapsel, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from vintages such as 2009, 2011 and 2012, while the Turmberg adds an Auslese and a 2010 Trockenbeerenauslese. These wines last for decades, as a 1968 Kiedricher Turmberg shows. Find more sweet wines in our dessert wine collection.
Frequently asked questions about Weingut Robert Weil
Where is Weingut Robert Weil?
In Kiedrich in the Rheingau, in the Taunus foothills above the Rhine. All its vineyards lie within the village. Find more German wine under Germany.
What is the difference between the Gräfenberg GG and Monte Vacano?
Both are dry Rieslings from the Gräfenberg. The Grosses Gewächs is the estate's dry grand cru from the site, while Monte Vacano comes from one small plot within it and is made in far smaller quantities.
Which Robert Weil Riesling is a good place to start?
A Rheingau Riesling Kabinett, dry or fruity, or the off-dry Tradition shows the house style. The Turmberg is the next step toward the Gräfenberg.
How long can Robert Weil wines age?
A dry Grosses Gewächs develops over ten years and more. Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese can age for several decades.