Iconic meaning that the wine is widely considered among the top wines of the country, and is reasonably available to purchase, preferably stateside. Can be dry, sweet, and all in the middle. From what I’ve seen, there seem to be iconic producers that have a lot of good to great wines, but with very few anointed above the rest. I’m thinking of some of the few producers I have experience with like Donnhoff, Willi Schaefer, and Prum.
Perhaps the only one I know of is Schaefer Frohlich’s Bockenauer Felseneck GG.
J.J. Prüm - Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Auslese, Auslese Goldkapsel
Egon Müller - Scharzhofberger Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese and upwards
Müller Catoir - all BAs and TBAs wines from the H.G. Schwarz era
Robert Weil - Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese, BA and TBA
Schloss Eltz and Schloss Groenesteyn - all off-dry and sweet Rieslings from the 40s to 70s
What about Bürgerspital in Wurzburg? I would say they would be one of the most historic properties in Franken, and produce a pretty incredible Silvaner…
Yes, they’re definitely historic and they’ve increased the quality in the last few years and now make very good wines. Also, with large holdings in the Würzburger Stein and its prime parcel “Stein Harfe”, they are a good contender for the only possible “iconic” Silvaner. But I’d say Silvaner is more of a niche wine and has been more of a niche wine for years. Therefore, I have difficulties calling a Silvaner an “iconic” wine.
I really don’t think you can do this if you bring Pradikat into the mix…
Does Stephen really think the Prum TBA isn’t iconic?
Too many dimensions.
Top producers I can play, my five would be:
JJ Prum
Grunhaus
Schaefer
Muller
The Haags ( )
Now each of those has a strongest vineyard, but could I say Mullers Scharzhofberger Kab is better or more iconic than Grunhaus’ AbtsbergTBA? No of course not.
While something such as Egon Muller Scharzhofberger does come to mind, I don’t really like the concept of iconic wines. There is an incredibly long list if great German wines, and they cover the range from dry to dessert sweet. You can use auctions prices to get an idea I suppose, but I think that unfairly devalues the truly great regular releases.
Whether it’s “iconic” or not depends on the definition, I guess, but what it certainly is is a truly fabulous wine by any definition
BTW, I think Fritz Becker’s top bottlings (and possibly a number of other SBs) are even more expensive.
(I am normally weary to pay more than 20-30 EUR max for German SB/PN for all kinds of different reasons… Fuerst is the one exception to this rule for me).
Sorry, I really hope we do not have any iconic wines. I wish we will never have those coming from Germany. What we need the least is a hype around German wines. I guess we will see wines of my homeland for several hundred dollars in the future. Good for the producers in question. Bad for the consumers.
My thoughts exactly. Having a small group of wines that are only available to the uber-wealthy, and that relegate the rest to some vinous underclass is a Pyrrhic victory at best. There are so many fantastic German wines that it makes much more sense to explore the diversity across producers, regions, site and grapes than to seek out some fetishized bottling just to say one owns or has tasted it.
