What is Spatlese Wine? (10 Best Bottles, Characteristics, Prices)

Spatlese (meaning “late harvest”) is a sweet white wine style with about 172–209 grams of sugar per liter. 

Spatlese wines are made from fully ripe Riesling, Grauer Burgunder, or Weißer Burgunder grapes. 

While these wines are praised by wine critics for their versatile character, opulent aromas, and rich, seductive flavors, they often go under the radar of most wine drinkers.

Let’s discover which wines can be classified as Spatlese, the best Spatlese bottles, food pairings, and the other wines in the Riesling Prädikat quality system.

Spatlese Wine Characteristics

Spatlese emerged as a separate wine category in 1775 in the Schloss Johannisberg winery in Rheingau, Germany. It’s believed that the winery produced the first Spatlese wine by accident when their grape delivery was delayed, resulting in noble rot-affected fruit.

Today, Spatlese wines are produced in both Germany and Austria. Here are the Spatlese requirements in both countries:

• Germany: Wines should be 76 to 90 degrees Oechsle (172-209 g/l sugar).
• Austria: Wines are produced with 19 KMW (about 95 degrees Oechsle).

Chaptalisation (adding sugar to the wine) is forbidden in both countries. The grapes should be harvested at least seven days after the normal harvest period.

Spatlese is usually full-bodied with 8-10% alcohol content, rich flavors, and high acidity levels to balance out the sweetness.

Most Riesling Spatlese wines have a good aging potential of 10 to 20 years.

10 Best Spatlese Wines to Buy in 2023

Here are some of the most exquisite Spätlese wines to stock up on for your next celebration:

1. 2017 Schafer-Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spatlese Goldkapsel ($30)
2. 2019 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ($30)
3. 2019 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese ($249)
4. 2019 Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ($45)
5. 2019 Schloss Johannisberg Grunlack Riesling Spatlese ($62)
6. 2020 Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese ($58)
7. 2020 Hauck Grauer Burgunder Spatlese Trocken ($8)
8. 2018 Weinlaubenhof Alois Kracher Spatlese Rose ($26)
9. 2019 Elfenhof Gewurztraminer Spatlese Lieblich ($12)
10. 2015 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese ($91)

1. 2017 Schafer-Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spatlese Goldkapsel ($30)

This great wine has an off-dry palate with crisp acidity and pronounced green apple and pear notes. This Riesling is pure with an opulent fruity nose.

2. 2019 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ($30)

Hailing straight from the Mosel Valley, this Riesling Spatlese surprises with its pleasant intensity, bright acidity, and engulfing sweetness. The wine opens with fragrant ripe peach and ginger aroma notes intertwined with tropical fruit, key lime, and mineral hints. 

3. 2019 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese ($249)

This Mosel Riesling is a must-try classic - the dominant tropical fruit tasting note is accompanied but elegant yet precise hints of slate, mineral, and salinity. The palate is refined and reveals rich apricot, citrus, and honey notes.

4. 2019 Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ($45)

Here we have a late harvest wine made with the Riesling grape variety from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard. 

It has an elegant citrus nose and hints of minerality. The palate is rich and balanced with lively acidity and balanced sweetness. The dominant honeyed green apple notes are followed by apricot, peach, and tropical fruit flavors. 

5. 2019 Schloss Johannisberg Grunlack Riesling Spatlese ($62)

This yellow-colored high-quality wine has a floral nose, crisp acidity, and a distinct hint of slate. The palate has nuanced fresh pineapple fruit flavors accompanied by underlayers of mango, lime, and papaya.

6. 2020 Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese ($58)

Here we have a great wine with stone and bee wax aroma bouquet. The flavor profile reveals subtle but rich notes of apricot, pineapple, and Meyer lemon with a hint of fresh herbs.

7. 2020 Hauck Grauer Burgunder Spatlese Trocken ($8)

This late harvest wine is made with Grauburgunder grapes. It’s an off-dry wine with a higher alcohol content of 14% and opulent floral aroma notes. The palate is layered with notes of kiwi, apple fruit, and gooseberry with a slight hint of minerality.

8. 2018 Weinlaubenhof Alois Kracher Spatlese Rose ($26)

Here we have an unusual and rare Spatlese wine made with the Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc grape varieties. This sweet Rose wine has delightful peach, citrus, and strawberry notes and a beautiful floral nose.

9. 2019 Elfenhof Gewurztraminer Spatlese Lieblich ($12)

Another Spatlese outlier, this Austrian wine is made with the Gewurztraminer grape variety and reveals seductive potpourri, lychee, and peach fruit flavor notes.

10. 2015 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese ($91)

This is an outstanding German wine from the Mosel Valley wine region. The wine showcases a fragrant white flower nose, bright acidity, and a fruity palate with citrus, apricot, and peach notes.

Great Food Pairings with Spatlese Wine

Spatlese’s lively acidity and delightful sweetness levels make the wine a perfect match for any spicy dish, seafood, and cheese platter. 

Here are some ideas:

• Fish: sashimi, grilled white fish, sushi, prawn fajitas
• Spicy food: spicy sausage calzone, Thai red curry mussels, spicy chicken
• Baked meats: All sorts of baked or smoked chicken, turkey, and pork dishes
• Cheese: Brie, Camembert, Emmental, blue cheese 

Now, how is Spatlese different from Auslese, Kabinett and other such wine styles?

All of these are classifications under the Riesling Prädikat quality system. Let’s take a closer look at the wine styles that fall under it.  

The Riesling Prädikat Quality System 

The German wine Prädikat system is a classification of the German wine labels based on the ripeness levels of the harvested grapes.

Besides Spatlese, there are five more Riesling styles in the German Prädikat classification:

• Kabinett: Kabinett wines are dry to off-dry with about 148-188 g/l sugar.
• Auslese: Riesling Auslese (meaning “select harvest”) is a type of sweet wine made with hand-selected noble rot grapes. The sweetness levels range between 191–260 g/l.
• Beerenauslese: This dessert wine type has high residual sweetness levels of at least 260 g/l.
• Trockenbeerenauslese: This type of dessert wine is made with grapes that dried out on the vine, and they can have more than 300 g/l residual sugar. 
• Eiswein: Ice wine is produced with noble rot-affected grapes that freeze on the vine. This wine has over 260 g/l residual sugar.

Raise a Toast With a Glass of Delightful Spatlese

Spätlese wines are a great treat you can have instead of a dessert or with a delicious cheese platter. The wine is rich, versatile, and pleasantly sweet. 

Just choose your favorite Spatlese and pop it open at your next dinner party.

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