Hirschbach & Sohne Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Auslese

Hirschbach & Sohne Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Auslese is a late-harvest German Riesling from the Mosel region, available in a 750ml bottle at a low ABV typical of Auslese-level wines. Produced from hand-selected, fully ripened Riesling grapes, this wine showcases the concentrated fruit and balanced sweetness that has made the Piesporter Michelsberg Grosslage one of the Mosel's most recognized appellations.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~8% (typical for Mosel Auslese)  |  Origin: Mosel, Germany  |  Prädikat: Auslese  |  Producer: Hirschbach & Sohne

Production & Heritage

Hirschbach & Sohne is a German wine house with a long tradition of producing Mosel Rieslings. The Piesporter Michelsberg designation refers to a Grosslage — a collective vineyard district surrounding the village of Piesport along the Middle Mosel, where steep slate slopes and a temperate microclimate allow Riesling grapes to ripen slowly and develop intense aromatics. Auslese, meaning "select harvest" under Germany's Prädikat classification system, requires grapes to reach a minimum must weight of 83–100 degrees Oechsle, indicating high natural sugar concentration. The grapes are hand-picked at peak ripeness, and fermentation is typically halted before full dryness to preserve residual sweetness balanced by Riesling's signature acidity.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe peach and apricot dominate the nose, followed by layers of acacia honey and delicate white blossom. A subtle minerality, likely influenced by Mosel slate soils, adds complexity beneath the fruit.

Taste: The palate opens with lush stone fruit sweetness — peach nectar and candied apricot — that builds toward a honeyed mid-palate. Vibrant acidity threads through the richness, keeping the wine from cloying and lending a refreshing, almost electric tension. The interplay between sweetness and acidity is the hallmark of a well-made Mosel Auslese.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering notes of ripe pear and a faint slate-mineral quality. The acidity carries the finish cleanly, leaving a bright, honeyed impression.

How to Drink Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese

Serve chilled to 46–50°F (8–10°C) to balance sweetness with aromatic expression; a tulip-shaped wine glass concentrates the delicate bouquet. This Auslese shines as a standalone sipper after dinner. For cocktail-adjacent serves, try it as a Riesling Spritz — topped with sparkling water and a lemon twist for a low-ABV refresher. It also works well in a German-style Hugo variation, replacing Prosecco with the Auslese and adding elderflower syrup and fresh mint. For a simple wine cocktail, a Peach Bellini riff using this wine instead of sparkling adds honeyed depth.

Best For

• Serving as a dessert wine alongside fruit-based courses
• Gifting to a Riesling enthusiast or German wine collector
• Pairing with a holiday cheese board featuring blue cheese and dried fruits
• Introducing someone to the Mosel Auslese category at an accessible entry point

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese taste like? This Auslese Riesling delivers concentrated ripe peach, apricot, and honey flavors, balanced by racy acidity that prevents the residual sweetness from becoming heavy.

How does Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese compare to Leonard Kreusch Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese? Both wines come from the same Grosslage designation in the Mosel, but Leonard Kreusch tends to emphasize pear and sweet melon with citrus-mineral notes on the finish. Hirschbach & Sohne leans more toward stone fruit and honey, though both share the characteristic acidity-sweetness balance of Mosel Auslese Riesling.

Is Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — Auslese-level Riesling is one of Germany's most celebrated styles for reflective, standalone drinking, particularly after a meal or as a dessert accompaniment.

Where is Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese made? It is produced in the Mosel wine region of Germany, specifically from the Piesporter Michelsberg Grosslage, a collective vineyard district along the Middle Mosel river near the village of Piesport, known for its steep slate slopes.

What foods pair well with Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese? Blue cheese such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola, where the sweetness counters the salt; foie gras or rich pâté, which mirrors the wine's honeyed weight; fresh fruit tarts with apricot or peach; spicy Thai or Szechuan dishes, where residual sugar tempers heat; and crème brûlée, whose caramelized sugar echoes the wine's honey notes.

What sizes does Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese come in? The standard offering is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format for this wine.

Is Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese worth the price? This wine positions as an accessible entry into the Auslese Prädikat tier, making it a strong value for those exploring late-harvest German Riesling without committing to the higher price points of single-vineyard (Einzellage) bottlings from top estates.

Why Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese?

The Auslese Prädikat represents a sweet spot in Germany's quality hierarchy — concentrated enough to deliver genuinely complex, dessert-worthy flavors, yet not as rare or costly as Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese. Hirschbach & Sohne's version draws on the Piesporter Michelsberg terroir, one of the Mosel's most established Grosslage sites, where slate-driven soils and river-reflected warmth foster slow, even ripening. The result is a wine that balances lush stone fruit sweetness with the electric acidity that defines great Mosel Riesling. For anyone building a dessert wine collection or simply seeking a refined after-dinner pour, this bottling earns its place as a reliable, terroir-expressive example of the style.