Harvest usually begins very late and the weather is variable, so the ripest grapes often come from the best parcels rather than a later harvest date. Spätlese wines can carry more sugar than Kabinett without losing their balance. While they're off dry to semi sweet when young, they reward cellaring with an incredible degree of complexity. Parcels of Riesling exhibiting the requisite qualities of a Spätlese are fermented mostly through the action of wild yeasts in old, thousand litres oak foudres. The wines are raised in ancient cellars which were built by mediaeval monks. The deep, very cold and damp environments make the perfect environment in which to gently age the wines, which are made for the long haul.