April 17, 2015 | News | Vineyards

The Tortuous Slate of the Erdener Prälat

This stunning picture from the Erdener Prälat underlines the complexity of this terroir capable of true greatness. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the Erdener Prälat.

Erdener Prälat | An Iconic Terroir

The Erdener Prälat is one of the iconic terroir in the Mosel. Erdener Prälat wines combine an incredible fiery power with subtle complexity. This complexity comes, among others, from its transitional terroir. The above picture underlines it nicely: Erdener Prälat is whipped into place by the “red” Ürzig (Würzgarten) but shaped by the “grey” Erden (Treppchen).

Erdener Prälat | Grand Cru Wines

Not surprisingly, Erdener Prälat wines fare extremely well in our reviews and are regularly featured as "Issue Highlights", among others at the hands of Weingut Karl Erbes, Weingut Dr. Hermann and Weingut Dr. Loosen.

It is therefore not surprising that the Erdener Prälat has been classified as "VDP.Grosse Lage" by the VDP.Prädikatsweingüter and as "Grosses Gewächs" (for the dry wines from this Grand Cru) by the Bernkasteler Ring.

Erdener Prälat | The Detailed Story

The vineyard fascinates us so much that we published a fully detailed 19-page article on the Erdener Prälat covering:

• its fascinating history as a brand of the VDP-founding Berres family,
• its producers, including a full ownership map,
• a detailed review of the terroir, and why it is not technically red slate,
• information on style and signature and when Erdener Prälat is at its best,

• scores of tasting notes from all leading Erdener Prälat producers (current and past).

This detailed article was published in the Mosel Fine Wines Issue No 10 (Jan 2010).

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Erdener Prälat | An Overview

In the meantime, you can download a summary pdf document of this detailed article on the Erdener Prälat here (status 2020): Erdener Prälat - The Vineyard at a Glance.