2006 - Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese, Egon Muller

Muller’s 2006 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese A.P. #6 leads with intense fresh lime, honey, and brown spices; charts a refined, refreshing, and distinctly slate-lined course on the palate; and finishes with striking clarity, cut, and an abundance of energy and sheer sap. This is the alter-ego of the corresponding Braune Kupp in its dynamic personality, pungent spice, and tart citrus, but it’s clear this has in common with most of Muller’s wines an uncanny sense of underlying extract. (A second non-auction Spatlese was missing from the line-up when I tasted this collection.) Despite the challenges of hail (which struck the Scharzhofberg but not the Braune Kupp) and rampant ripening and botrytis, Egon Muller has turned out a 2006 collection whose quality potential he says can be compared (as he did 2005’s) with 1976, the vintage his father believed to have been the finest of his time. “This was a vintage with massive botrytis,” Muller observes, “yet when you taste the wines today, you are amazed at how elegant and refreshing they are.” (Note: stellar quality was achieved in 1976 almost exclusively on the Saar, not in Germany’s other Riesling-growing regions.) Muller also draws comparison between the styles of 2006 and 1999, although the latter vintage involved a great deal of selection and resulted in no fewer than 37 different bottlings. “Surprisingly,” he says, “in 2006 we did very, very little selection. We played around a bit here and there, but we realized very quickly that the must weights were soaring, and haste in the vineyards and the cellar was essential. We did harvest a very small amount of Trockenbeerenauslese – we wanted to do that. But a lot more would have been possible had there been the time.” Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

(auction wine) Golden yellow. Vibrant aromas of muskmelon, pineapple and acacia blossom. Unctuous and creamy and yet light on the palate, thanks to its juicy citrus character. Not a showstopper like last year's version, but nicely balanced and satisfying. And lively on the aftertaste.

Power and vinosity (that winey-ness that is so hard to describe). Then very rich ripe orange flavours, even a little tropical on the palate. Long and elegant with hidden power.