We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – Shimmering and pale but brilliant and slightly lime-greenish in color, the 2019 Scharzhofberger Kabinett is crystal clear and precise on the pure, fresh and coolish, highly refined and complex flinty-scented nose that is unmistakably Egon Müller's "regular" Scharzhofberger Kabinett (there is an Alte Reben bottling for the auction in September, too). Lush yet precise and enormously piquant and salty on the palate, it displays crisp white stone fruit aromas and the crystalline mineral nerviness of the iron-rich gray slate soils that eat up the residual sugar easily so that the taste is just electrifying and salty yet not really sweet. This is a frisky, mouthwateringly salty and piquant Riesling of remarkable precision, finesse and elegance, with picture-book tension for Kabinett. The finish is highly stimulating and incomparable. I dare to say that this Kabinett is my favorite this year due to its precision and coolish, precise nature.
About This Wine
Of all the great wine producers from Germany no one seems to be as revered as Weingut Egon Müller. Since 1797, the Müller family has produced wines that have earned the worldwide respect of winemakers and wine lovers alike. From their vineyards are produced some of the most astounding wines that become even more breathtaking with time. With such a reputation, the wines command a hefty price. Being surely some of the most age-able and profound wines you will ever encounter, they are so worth it, though!
Type | White Wine |
---|---|
Varietal(s) | Riesling |
Country | Germany |
Region | Mosel |
Brand | Weingut Egon Muller |
Vintage | 2021 |
About German Wines
Germany is the world’s northernmost fine wine producing region and thus requires its vines to endure some of the coldest temperatures. Fortunately, the country’s star variety, Riesling, does well in cooler climates and can survive even these freezing winters.
Germany Riesling is classified by ripeness at harvest which is also used to indicate the wine’s level of residual sugar. Picking earlier means the grapes have less time to ripen and the corresponding wines will be on the drier side; while picking later gives the grapes the opportunity full ripen and produce a lusciously sweet Riesling. The classifications from driest to sweetest: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein (ice wine). While not as common to age white wines outside of Chardonnay, top tier German Rieslings can be aged for decades.
Other notable white grape varieties produced in Germany include Müller-Thurgau (a cross between Riesling and Madelaine Royale in the search for varieties that could withstand the extreme temperatures), Grauburguner (Pinot Gris) and Weissburguner (Pinot Blanc). The cooler German climate leads to earlier harvesting in general and gives German wines a distinctive character of higher acidity.
Historically red wine has always been harder to produce in the German climate. However, Pinot Noir grown in slightly warmer pockets of the country, has been highly successful in recent times. Going by the German name, Spätburgunder, German Pinot Noir can be elegant, structured and have vibrant acidity.