Os Melhores Alemães de Todos os Tempos por Robert Parker

E chegou a hora de mais um país do velho mundo. Desta vez vamos falar da Alemanha que, para muitos, teve papel importante na herança do mundo de Baco, principalmente aqui no Brasil. Quem não se lembra do “Vinho da Garrafa Azul” que, em tempos aonde a informação não era tão fácil como hoje, chegou ao Brasil cheio de pompa!

O responsável por todo este sucesso foi de Otávio Piva, fundador da Expand. Na história da Expand houve alguns momentos chaves que contribuíram para seu sucesso. Um deles foi na década de 80, quando Piva convenceu o fabricante do vinho branco alemão Liebfraumilch a produzir garrafas na cor azul. “O consumidor chegava à loja e pedia o vinho da garrafa azul”, fala Piva ao lembrar que, na época, o país importava 2 milhões de caixa, das quais 1,2 milhão era do “vinho da garrafa azul”.

Na minha opinião é claro que tiveram seu papel na história mas, na verdade, eram vinhos horríveis e baratos, chamados gerericamente de Liebfraulmich. Essa má reputação ainda respinga nos bons produtores germânicos, que fazem excelentes vinhos, mas ainda não são muito apreciados pelos brasileiros.

Nesta lista dos “Melhores de Todos os Tempos”, trouxe somente os vinhos com 99 e 100 pontos, totalizando 22 rótulos.

Destaque para o “1992 Lingenfelder Freinsheimer Goldberg Scheurebe Auslese” que, com inacreditáveis 99 pontos, custa a bagatela de 17 dólares no mercado americano. Se encontrar pode trazer umas 3 garrafas pra mim! Hehe.

In Vino Veritas!

Gustavo Kauffman (GK)

Os Melhores Alemães de Todos os Tempos por Robert Parker

2004 Hermann Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein A P #24

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Oberhausen, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #161 (Oct 2005)

Rating: 100

Drink -

Cost:

As soon as I smelled the 2004 Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein A.P. #24 and tried to wrap my tongue and mind around it, I came to two vivid realizations. First and foremost, it inhabits an entirely different world from the extraordinary #23. Second, if it merely succeeds (and it will) in making a fool of me for trying to describe it let alone give it a rating, I shall count myself lucky that my soul has been spared. This is nothing you could call “Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese” – although in earlier times that is how it would have been labeled – because there is no dried fruit character in evidence. Normally if the starting point for Eiswein were berries so tiny, healthy and ripe as were present on this occasion, the frost could only add a modest increment of additional concentration. But here, frost seems to have catapulted the wine into an orbit beyond the reach of our web of words. What we have here, prosaically put, is the most intense imaginable concentration of fresh, jellied and candied fruits, citrus, and mineral salts. If tasting the #23 was like swallowing an electric eel, this is like getting hooked up to a generator. That is not, however, to suggest that the experience is jarring. “Harmony” and “colloquy” suggest themselves to Donnhoff as we both grope to describe the remarkably dynamic, whirling, dancing interplay of flavors. “Don’t ask me how cold it was,” he says. “All I did was check the thermometer once to see that it was cold enough, then I got out of bed. The day before, the whole family had said, ‘so, we’ll pick everything, it’s all so beautiful’ ‘Mmm ? I think we’ll just wait,’ said I. ‘It could be that tomorrow we can do it again.’” I doubt I shall taste another Riesling like this, nor one better. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

2001 Hermann Donnhoff Riesling Eiswein Oberhauser Brucke

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Oberhausen, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by Pierre Rovani

WA # , #143 (Oct 2002)

Rating: 100

Drink 2012 - 2022

Cost: $1129-$1447

From a parcel that reached 100 Oeschle (the scale used in Germany for determining ripeness, in natural potential alcohol terms it is equivalent to 13%) before freezing, and therefore being concentrated, the 2001 Riesling Eiswein Oberhauser Brucke is a wine of sumptuous ripeness and blazing acidity. Candied eggplants, sweetened herbal teas, minerals, and hints of banana can be found in its penetrating aromatics. It cuts a broad, yet elegant and highly-focused swath across the palate with exotic fruits and strawberries. An offering of magnificent purity, it is immensely concentrated, powerful, lush, refined, and vibrant. Its effects can still be discerned over a minute after having tasted it. This stupendous, complete gem will benefit from a decade of cellaring and will then last for 20 years or more. Bravo! Helmut Donnhoff approached the 2001 vintage much as Reggie Jackson would have reacted to facing a fast ball down the middle thrown by a Junior Varsity pitcher in the bottom of the ninth of the last game of the World Series. Donnhoff hit a towering, grand slam home run of majestic proportions. His 2001s are extraordinary. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

2002 Hermann Donnhoff Riesling Eiswein Oberhauser Brucke

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Oberhausen, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by Pierre Rovani

WA # , #151 (Feb 2004)

Rating: 100

Drink 2015 - 2040

Cost: $249

The 2002 Riesling Eiswein Oberhauser Brucke is a grand slam home run for Donnhoff. It is so intense, so powerful, and so complex as to instill fear in the taster. Its apricot and peach cobbler aromas lead to a jellied core of cassis, raspberries, syrupy slate, and oodles of spices. It is simply amazing that a wine of this richness, ripeness, and depth can retain perfect definition, grip, and refinement. What is truly terrifying, however, is that Donnhoff produced a three-star Eiswein from the same vineyard in 2002, one he presumably considers better than this sublime nectar. Part of me is grateful that I was unable to taste it, however, as I have only 100 points with which to work. Bravo! Projected maturity: 2015-2040+. For the second year in a row, Helmut Donnhoff has left me shaking my head in wonder. Having tasted the greatest wines in the world, year in and year out, as a wine merchant and as a critic, did not prepare me for the awe-inspiring experience of tasting through Donnhoff’s 2001s and 2002s. They are magical, emotional, breath-taking. My words cannot do them justice. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

2007 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Auslese Long Gold Capsule

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Juffer Sonnenuhr , Brauneberg, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany,

Review by

In Asia # , #0909 (Sep 2009)

Rating: 100

Drink -

Cost:

Ethereal nose that starts with a honey-nut core and builds into candied peel, dried pineapple, lemon curd and complex / medicinal notes of botrytis. The palate is both very sweet and very crisp with a wildly decadent level of viscosity and layer upon layer of fruit, opulent spice, nut and mineral flavours. Epically long finish. Perfection.

2006 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Juffer Sonnenuhr , Brauneberg, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #179 (Oct 2008)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost: $300

The Fritz Haag 2006 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese – in contrast with the B.A. – is a monument to the vintage, but not monumental in style. Here we witness the ethereal aromatic intensity and remarkable levity and delicacy of which 2006 is capable. Notes of freshly-baked bread, truffle, honey, and orchard fruit liqueurs call to mind a 1971, but a seductive profusion of floral perfume is all 2006. Almost painful intensity of fruit preserve, nut paste, and honey sweetness is pulled back from excess by otherwise undetectable strings of acidity, leading to a billowing, seemingly weightless yet endlessly stimulating finish that is guaranteed to leave you shaking your head in wonder. If one factors in the sheer length of this wine, it is a bargain: one sip lasts for several minutes and one half -bottle would last for months unspoiled in a refrigerator, and for longer than an average lifetime in the cellar. (I trust these prosaic calculations will be appreciated in the context of a “people’s T.B.A. and the absence of further metaphoric flights of fancy in no way be taken as a reflection of this wine’s personality.) Oliver and Wilhelm Haag have fielded their third sensational collection in a row, but then, superlatives are hardly new to this address, there are simply more of them this year then ever before. Wilhelm Haag compares 2006 with 1953 – a fabled vintage he remembers helping to harvest as a teenager – for its “desiccated, incredibly healthy botrytis,” adding “I plan to drink these in my second life.” They started picking immediately after October 3, and when I asked Wilhelm Haag whether a particular bottling had been picked early, he laughed and replied “they were all picked early! When I saw the must weights that were coming in, I thought they were too high for Spatlese and even Auslese, and that the wines would be too broad, but I must say, today – even with the botrytis – they have a wonderfully elegant effect.” Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 5960-9463

2007 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Juffer Sonnenuhr , Brauneberg, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

eRobertParker.com # , #183 (Jun 2009)

Rating: (99-100)

Drink -

Cost: $300

The Haags’ 2007 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese – destined to be sold off of their regular price list, not at auction – had not yet been bottled and was under the influence of recent sulfuring when I tasted it last September. Even so, this wine was explosively concentrated, loaded with peach preserves, brown spices, nougat, marzipan, and white raisin. Seldom, in fact, can I recall a Riesling remotely this much like nut confection. The lift and near weightlessness of which the best wines of the vintage are capable is dramatically displayed here. Yet the finish offers a greater sense of grip – along with the stimulation of orange and pink grapefruit zest, tactile cinnamon spice, and subtly chewy peach skin – than the wine’s creamy, levitating palate performance or nut paste character would have led me to anticipate. Intriguing and in its way invigorating as this elixir might be, ultimately the wonder of it will simply bring you to reverie. Needless to say this is one for the ages. Oliver and Wilhelm Haag have done it again, scoring consistent and sensational success throughout their range. And if 2007 cannot – like 2006 – be compared with any iconic vintage of yore (in 2006’s case, 1953) so much the more exciting. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463.

2007 Hermann Donnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Beerenauslese

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Oberhausen, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

eRobertParker.com # , #185 (Oct 2009)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost:

The over-ripe pear and quince featured in other nobly sweet wines of this collection are very much present in Donnhoff's 2007 Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Beerenauslese, along with aromas of distilled gentian, gardenia, lemon oil, freshly baked bread, and white truffle. The intensity of inner-mouth perfume here - orchard fruit, floral, and herbal distillates - is nearly beyond belief. Pear nectar, quince preserves, apple jelly, liquid gardenia, brown spices, and a certain saline and smoky suggestions of things mineral inform a finish of trance-inducing duration. This amazing elixir - harvested largely in the Turmchen section of the site - should be worthy of 40 years cellaring. When Donnhoff laughingly referred to this as the year of Felsenberg, he was not in fact kidding, nor was he referring just to the sheer number of bottlings! While Donnhoff returned to his usual humility in characterizing the latest vintage - following an atypically unabashed outbreak of enthusiasm in describing his indeed amazing collection of 2006s - it is clear that the 2007s delight him in a similar way, as outstanding representations of their respective sites at Spatlese ripeness. (Note, incidentally, that the Pradikat has been removed from any dry wines here, in keeping with a new convention of the Nahe branch of the VDP growers- association.) -Within that range of ripeness,- he submits, -one best-recognizes the site. Here you have nothing exaggerated, but instead a normal harvest, meaning a documentation of the vineyards, each a different face on the landscape. They all went to the same school and had the same opportunities- he adds, gesturing to the long row of Spatlesen on the tasting table, and alluding to his own role as well as the vintage-s. -It was a bit intimidating this year at harvest,- he added, -because when the grapes are perfect, you can only make mistakes.- I had the rare fortune to taste this collection twice, and like so many 2007s (a comment that even more growers made about their 2008s) the wines were much more impressive in September than in Spring. A 2007 Hermannshohle Trockenbeerenauslese, by the way, is still trying to become wine after two years. Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

2004 Hermann Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein A P #23

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Oberhausen, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #161 (Oct 2005)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost: $260

The first day’s Eiswein picking, December 21, yielded 2004 Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein A.P. #23. Smelling of a super concentrate and distillate of yellow plums, apricot and red raspberries, this displays enormous concentration, fat, thickness and sweetness on the palate while managing – thanks to its sheer density and spine-tingling citricity? no, make that electricity! – to be not at all cloying, and indeed positively animated. Warm cinnamon stick, vanilla, jellied red fruits, dried concentration of apple and plum, a wealth of citrus ? there is such concentration, complexity, purity and sheer length one becomes light-headed thinking about the sacrilege of trying to do it justice in a wine journal. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

2006 Hermann Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from , Hermannshohle, Niederhausen, Nahe, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #179 (Oct 2008)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost: $120

Donnhoff’s 2006 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese introduces a caramelization of fruit and a roasted richness that represent a more obvious expression of botrytis, yet the springs of acidity are incredibly tightly-wound as well and there is absolutely no sense of heaviness. One can taste the effect of botrytis that was being constantly ventilated in the best portions of this great site, concentrating all components, including acidity, while juicy berries also still abounded. The fruitcake metaphor is overused and fails to capture the appropriate sense of levity, fluidity, and elegance. Suffice it to say that dried fruits, toasted nuts, citrus rind, honey, white raisin, baking spices, spiritous fruit essences, and singed, caramelized notes all abound, and that the less prosaic layers of this masterpiece – for lack of better words, the meat and mineral dimensions – are only revealed for now to the limited degree that time in the glass permits. The finish finds me licking my lips clean of mysteriously savory, salty residues. Voluminous and dense yet refined and elegant; baroque yet constructed like one of the great pyramids; viscously rich yet dynamic, this will stand – perhaps for half a century – as a monument to its vintner, site and vintage. “I was amazed when the 2006s tasted as good as I had said they might become,” says Helmut Donnhoff. “It turned out what we vintners always said about Riesling – that’s it’s ideally suited to our clime – is true. I guess I didn’t really didn’t believe that in quite complete seriousness. I ran around the cellar like a crazy man, tasting back and forth” in excitement as the quality of this latest collection became evident. Sample it starting almost anywhere, and you’ll be a believer, too. “If there is one vintage I could compare with this, it would be 1971 as I remember it, with this perfect tension between acid and sugar, this clarity, a bit of botrytis but not stinky, completely clear and mineral, structured, architectural.” In the 21 years I have been visiting him, I have never known Helmut Donnhoff to permit himself such superlatives. “We set the record, harvesting everything in two weeks,” he adds. Trying to handle so many sites needing so much selection in so short a time “was close to the limit, and we managed it only because I have really good people” picking. This year, Donnhoff added to his line-up vineyards in two of the three traditionally top sites of Bad Kreuznach, parcels whose purchase in 2003 he had kept under wraps until now. On the one hand he felt that acquiring parcels another step downstream and in his “home city” and which – like those in Norheim – had once been proudly maintained by “wine nobility” but more recently neglected, followed a theme and closed a circle. “I see myself in the line of cellar-masters who were my mentors. If I didn’t do it,” he says, “there was nobody else left.” On the other hand, he had in mind that vineyards “not quite so close to my heart,” but still top quality (“because a lousy vineyard and a good vineyard take the same amount of work”) could be employed to increase volumes of his generic Riesling. As soon as he tasted the first young wines, he knew they were not destined for blending away! In virtually any other vintage, his top 2006 Auslesen would have been Beerenauslesen, Donnhoff points out, and I have to admit I wondered whether the wines that followed – even if considered virtual Trockenbeerenauslesen – could represent an ascent. “One sees the botrytis during the harvest and one senses the possibilities. But one also knows what can happen if bad weather comes. And all of the vineyards were ripening at the same time. Sweet, dry, botrytized, all were possible at the same time. In principle, I would have had to harvest everything on the same day, which is impossible, crazy. Of course, you could have pushed things to the limit and harvested T.B.A. – I know I can make one at the highest level – but my story, my love is here,” says Donnhoff, stretching his hands over the bottles of Spatlese and Auslese lined up on the table.” That represents my dream, and anything that jeopardizes it must be set aside. I’ll always forgo the extra 10% of opulence.” Hence, although at one point a start was made on berries for T.B.A., in the end, only two truly botrytis-dominated wines, both Beerenauslesen, were picked. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300

2006 Hermann Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from , Hermannshohle, Niederhausen, Nahe, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #179 (Oct 2008)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost: $106-$378

Donnhoff’s 2006 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese replicates the sort of amazing layering of flavors for which this site is famous, and which this year’s Auslese awesomely displayed. As Donnhoff remarks “even here you can recognize the site, but on a different plane.” But sheer density doesn’t seem to render the layers harder to separate. With its creamy richness comes a remarkable, wafting sense of levity. Honey, pasted nuts and pit fruits, intensely-spiced tropical fruits, and deep, smoky, saline meat and mineral suggestions are accompanied by fluidity, elegance, and an irresistible savor. You can’t ask much more from a nobly sweet Riesling than the complex mystery on exhibit. But it can ask of you that you give it 15-20 years to develop in bottle. It will surely last for at least 50. “I was amazed when the 2006s tasted as good as I had said they might become,” says Helmut Donnhoff. “It turned out what we vintners always said about Riesling – that’s it’s ideally suited to our clime – is true. I guess I didn’t really didn’t believe that in quite complete seriousness. I ran around the cellar like a crazy man, tasting back and forth” in excitement as the quality of this latest collection became evident. Sample it starting almost anywhere, and you’ll be a believer, too. “If there is one vintage I could compare with this, it would be 1971 as I remember it, with this perfect tension between acid and sugar, this clarity, a bit of botrytis but not stinky, completely clear and mineral, structured, architectural.” In the 21 years I have been visiting him, I have never known Helmut Donnhoff to permit himself such superlatives. “We set the record, harvesting everything in two weeks,” he adds. Trying to handle so many sites needing so much selection in so short a time “was close to the limit, and we managed it only because I have really good people” picking. This year, Donnhoff added to his line-up vineyards in two of the three traditionally top sites of Bad Kreuznach, parcels whose purchase in 2003 he had kept under wraps until now. On the one hand he felt that acquiring parcels another step downstream and in his “home city” and which – like those in Norheim – had once been proudly maintained by “wine nobility” but more recently neglected, followed a theme and closed a circle. “I see myself in the line of cellar-masters who were my mentors. If I didn’t do it,” he says, “there was nobody else left.” On the other hand, he had in mind that vineyards “not quite so close to my heart,” but still top quality (“because a lousy vineyard and a good vineyard take the same amount of work”) could be employed to increase volumes of his generic Riesling. As soon as he tasted the first young wines, he knew they were not destined for blending away! In virtually any other vintage, his top 2006 Auslesen would have been Beerenauslesen, Donnhoff points out, and I have to admit I wondered whether the wines that followed – even if considered virtual Trockenbeerenauslesen – could represent an ascent. “One sees the botrytis during the harvest and one senses the possibilities. But one also knows what can happen if bad weather comes. And all of the vineyards were ripening at the same time. Sweet, dry, botrytized, all were possible at the same time. In principle, I would have had to harvest everything on the same day, which is impossible, crazy. Of course, you could have pushed things to the limit and harvested T.B.A. – I know I can make one at the highest level – but my story, my love is here,” says Donnhoff, stretching his hands over the bottles of Spatlese and Auslese lined up on the table.” That represents my dream, and anything that jeopardizes it must be set aside. I’ll always forgo the extra 10% of opulence.” Hence, although at one point a start was made on berries for T.B.A., in the end, only two truly botrytis-dominated wines, both Beerenauslesen, were picked. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300

1992 Lingenfelder Freinsheimer Goldberg Scheurebe Auslese

A Scheurebe Medium Dry White Table wine from , Goldberg, Freinsheim, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #91 (Feb 1994)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost: $17

One of the stars of the Rheinpfalz, Lingenfelder has turned in a superlative performance in 1992. The 1992 Freinsheimer Goldberg Scheurebe Auslese is hauntingly close to perfection. A spectacular honeyed, curranty, floral-scented nose is followed by a rich, slightly sweet wine with stunning precision to its massively-endowed, concentrated flavors. This huge wine, which was picked at beerenauslese ripeness and fermented nearly dry, is a blockbuster effort that must be tasted to be believed. Given its sublime quality and spectacular concentration and power, the price of $17 a half-bottle is a steal. A Terry Theise Estate Selection, imported by Milton S. Kronheim Co., Washington, DC.

2001 Max Ferd. Richter Riesling Eiswein Mulheimer Helenenkloster

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Helenenkloster , Mulheim, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany,

Review by Pierre Rovani

WA # , #144 (Dec 2002)

Rating: 99

Drink 2015 - 2035

Cost: $92

An awe-inspiring wine, the white-peach-scented 2001 Riesling Eiswein Mulheimer Helenenkloster has an unreal personality. It appears to have the weight of a Trockenbeerenauslese yet the balance and purity of an Eiswein. Red currants, peaches, tangerines, cherries, apricots, chamomile, pineapples, and raspberries are among its stunning panoply of flavors. Medium to full-bodied and oily-textured, this wine is thick yet razor sharp as well as syrupy yet balanced. It is a tour de force in winemaking! Projected maturity: 2015-2035+. Importer: David Shiverick, Langdon-Shiverick, Cleveland, OH; tel. (216) 861-6800.

2004 Muller-Catoir Rieslaner Beerenauslese Haardter Burgergarten

A Rieslaner Sweet White Dessert wine from , Burgergarten, Haardt an der Weinstrabe, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #161 (Oct 2005)

Rating: 99

Drink 2007 - 2033

Cost: $154

In an example of truth-in-terroir, the 2004 Haardter Burgergarten Rieslaner Beerenauslese, harvested in early December, exhibits the remarkable refinement and weightless sense that accrue to wines harvested from essentially healthy yet desiccated berries. Not that the texture is less than viscous, but there is an ethereal sense of lift throughout. Scents of quince, cinnamon, fresh lemon, and caramelized pineapple are followed by palate flavors of brown spice-laced quince and peach preserves, honey and a deep chocolate-like richness. Length and reverberation are getting to the point that you can’t tell when they leave off and when the next sip hits your lips as you succumb to a compulsive gesture of euphoria. Give these stunning Rieslaner Beerenauslesen the benefit of 8 or 10 years and then enjoy for a couple of decades more. Since the arrival of young Mosel-born Martin Franzen at this great estate so long associated with the wisdom and artistry of Hans-Gunter Schwarz’s 36-year tenure as cellar master, I have been struck by a degree of qualitative continuity and stylistic affinity with the ancient regime that other commentators seem not to have noticed. In a very real sense, the legacy of Schwarz – “activism in the vines, minimalism in the cellar” – has seeped indelibly into the fabric of nearly every top winery in the Pfalz. How then could it be otherwise precisely at Mandelring #25? And although Franzen and a largely new team were forced, to a considerable extent, to rediscover the keys to these vines and sites, they are the same vines and sites so carefully tended, trained and conscientiously replanted over the past decades by the then team of Catoir and Schwarz. In 2004, Franzen has unlocked from them astonishingly numerous and improbably fine vinous treasures such as one has come to associate with the name “Muller-Catoir” in the nearly four decades since a very young Heinrich Catoir inherited this estate and decided to make a statement. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

1992 Muller-Catoir Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese

A Rieslaner Sweet White Dessert wine from , Eselshaut, Mussbach an der Weinstrabe, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #91 (Feb 1994)

Rating: 99

Drink 1994 - 2019

Cost: $66

Muller-Catoir's sweet wine offerings range from an exceptional 1992 Mussbacher Eselshaut Riesling Beerenauslese (honeyed peach and apricot fruit combined with minerals), to the nearly perfect 1992 Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Eiswein and 1992 Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese. The Mussbacher Eselshaut Trockenbeerenauslese (only 50 half-bottles are available for the world) exhibits a Cote Rotie-like, smoky, bacon fat-scented nose. Lavishly rich, with stunning precision and phenomenally high extract, this gigantically-proportioned wine never tastes heavy or cloying because of its superb natural acidity. It is an awesome, seamless wine that should keep for 25 plus years! Muller-Catoir is Germany's most fashionable winemaker, enjoying a position among connoisseurs much like that of such illustrious French winemakers as Jean-Francois Coche-Dury, Comte Lafon, Michel Niellon, and Olivier and Leonard Humbrecht. Muller-Catoir's aromatic wines are undoubtedly super-ripe and multi-dimensional, as well as exceptionally complex. Most importantly, they are delicious! Not surprisingly, Muller-Catoir excelled in the 1992 vintage, with two of the firm's sweeter cuvees approaching perfection. A Terry Theise Estate Selection, imported by Milton S. Kronheim Co., Washington, DC.

1994 Muller-Catoir Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese

A Rieslaner Sweet White Dessert wine from , Eselshaut, Mussbach an der Weinstrabe, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #102 (Dec 1995)

Rating: 99

Drink 1995 - 2025

Cost: $74

For the extraordinary diversity of great wines that are produced, Muller-Catoir is Germany's greatest estate. Who else achieves such brilliance with not only Riesling, but with Muskateller, Scheurebe, and Rieslaner? Muller-Catoir's 1994s are brilliant wines, as well as the most backward I have tasted from this estate. Their extremely high extract bodes well for future development, as do their magnificently high yet ripe acids. Muller-Catoir produced two legendary sweet wines in 1994, both from the Rieslaner grape. The medium gold-colored 1994 Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese boasts a spectacularly rich, honeyed nose intertwined with scents of spring flowers, tropical fruits, minerals, and spices. Absolutely great, this viscous, full-bodied, remarkably rich, concentrated wine carries only 8% alcohol. It offers a huge mouthful of gorgeously pure, phenomenally extracted fruit presented in a sweet style. Despite its enormous extract and weight, the acidity provides zest and clarity to its massive personality. This should be an immortal Rieslaner TBA that will drink well for 20-30+ years. Importer: a Terry Theise Selection, Milton S. Kronheim & Co., Jessup, MD; tel. (410) 724-3369

1992 Muller-Catoir Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Eiswein

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from , Herrenletten, Haardt an der Weinstrabe, Pfalz, Germany,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #91 (Feb 1994)

Rating: 99

Drink 1994 - 2024

Cost: $62

Muller-Catoir's sweet wine offerings range from an exceptional 1992 Mussbacher Eselshaut Riesling Beerenauslese (honeyed peach and apricot fruit combined with minerals), to the nearly perfect 1992 Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Eiswein and 1992 Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese. Mere words cannot do justice to the Haardter Herrenletten Eiswein. One of the finest sweet wines I have poured across my palate, this super-rich, hauntingly well-balanced, fresh wine is a winemaking tour de force. It should drink well for 25-30 years. Muller-Catoir is Germany's most fashionable winemaker, enjoying a position among connoisseurs much like that of such illustrious French winemakers as Jean-Francois Coche-Dury, Comte Lafon, Michel Niellon, and Olivier and Leonard Humbrecht. Muller-Catoir's aromatic wines are undoubtedly super-ripe and multi-dimensional, as well as exceptionally complex. Most importantly, they are delicious! Not surprisingly, Muller-Catoir excelled in the 1992 vintage, with two of the firm's sweeter cuvees approaching perfection. A Terry Theise Estate Selection, imported by Milton S. Kronheim Co., Washington, DC.

2002 Robert Weil Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Kiedrich Grafenberg

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from , Grafenberg, Kiedrich, Rheingau, Germany,

Review by Pierre Rovani

WA # , #151 (Feb 2004)

Rating: 99

Drink 2015 - 2045

Cost: $500

Looking for something big, maybe in the $500 for a half-bottle range? Well, Weingut Robert Weil’s got a wine for you! Honeyed minerals, spices, buckets of botrytis, red cherries, and apricots are found in the complex aromas of the 2002 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Kiedrich Grafenberg. An unbelievably rich effort, its layered personality conquers the taster with lavish waves of honey-laced fruits. Hugely spicy, oily-textured, and nectar-like, it retains extraordinary balance while unleashing dense, luxurious red, yellow, and tropical fruits. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2045+. Bravo! Importer: A Rudi Wiest Selection, Cellar International, Inc., Carlsbad, CA; tel. (760) 753-4244

2004 Robert Weil Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Kiedrich Grafenberg

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from , Grafenberg, Kiedrich, Rheingau, Germany,

Review by David Schildknecht

WA # , #161 (Oct 2005)

Rating: 99

Drink -

Cost: $724-$927

Picked in November and December, Weil’s 2004 Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese ended up being assembled from 25 tiny lots. The astounding aromas include the ocean, lobster reduction, veal demi glace, caramelized peach and quince preserves. Thick, dense and creamy in the mouth, it displays remarkably restrained sweetness and a wafting, delicate sense that is hard to describe. The palate is positively teeming with ocean-deep minerality and field-sized florality. This wine is one of those full immersion experiences from which your soul will emerge changed, if not saved. In the finish, there is an invigorating and animating juiciness and saltiness for all of the persistent parallel impression of creamy richness. One senses that the selection was so deft and the material available so perfect, that a certain number of still juicy, unraisined, green-golden berries could be retained. Wilhelm Weil insists that his 2004s are more consistently ripe than were his 2001s, since the accumulation of sugars this year was more gradual and there was not the extreme contrast presented by a cool, rainy September and a warm October of 2001. “Two thousand four, after all,” he says, “displays the classic virtues we theoretically ascribe to Riesling: long ripening, late harvest, and conditions on the climatic margins.” I found considerable qualitative variation this year, though, on account of factors other than sheer ripeness. That said, the outstanding 2004 Weil Rieslings – and these are in the clear majority – include some breathtaking successes. Furthermore, the quantities behind some of the most exciting of these are far larger than in any previous vintages of this estate. Imported by Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 596-9463

2001 Robert Weil Riesling Eiswein Kiedrich Grafenberg

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from , Grafenberg, Kiedrich, Rheingau, Germany,

Review by Pierre Rovani

WA # , #144 (Dec 2002)

Rating: 99

Drink 2020 - 2040

Cost: $260

Spicy pears and apples can be found in the vibrant nose of the 2001 Riesling Eiswein Kiedrich Grafenberg. This awe-inspiring wine conquers the palate with jellied apricots, cherries, white peaches, chamomile, and spices. Prodigiously rich, it is also impeccably balanced and reveals a seemingly never ending finish. Sultry, thickly-textured, yet admirably focused, it has all the characteristics of perfection. Those fortunate enough to afford it should lay it away for many years if the intention is to taste it at full maturity. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040. Importer: A Rudi Wiest Selection, Cellar International, Inc., Carlsbad, CA; tel. (760) 753-4244

1992 Schlossgut Diel Riesling Eiswein Gold Capsule

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Nahe, Germany,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #91 (Feb 1994)

Rating: 99

Drink 1994 - 2034

Cost: $380

The frightfully-priced 1992 Riesling Eiswein Gold Capsule is stunning. Not even a soothsayer could accurately predict how long this wine will last, but my guess is 30-40 years. Diel is considered to be one of the most serious estates in Germany. He is also one of that country's wine writers. The selection of 1992s I tasted from Diel ranged from impressive to awesome. However, Diel is not shy about pricing; these wines are expensive. Importer: Rudi Wiest Cellars Int., Carlsbad, CA.

1992 Schlossgut Diel Riesling Eiswein

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Nahe, Germany,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #91 (Feb 1994)

Rating: 99

Drink 1994 - 2034

Cost: $100

The 1992 Riesling Eiswein (6.5% alcohol) is a profound effort. It is a light and refreshing sweet wine with high acidity, layers of concentrated fruit, and an awesome finish that lasts for over a minute. This is a 30-40 year wine. Diel is considered to be one of the most serious estates in Germany. He is also one of that country's wine writers. The selection of 1992s I tasted from Diel ranged from impressive to awesome. However, Diel is not shy about pricing; these wines are expensive. Importer: Rudi Wiest Cellars Int., Carlsbad, CA.

2001 Selbach-Oster Riesling Eiswein Bernkastler Badstube

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Bernkastel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany,

Review by Pierre Rovani

WA # , #144 (Dec 2002)

Rating: 99

Drink 2015 - 2050

Cost: $171

Jammy cherries, currants, molasses, cinnamon, and white raisins can be found in the zesty, sharp aromas of the 2001 Riesling Eiswein Bernkasteler Badstube. A wine of sumptuous depth, it is massively concentrated, possesses awesome levels of acidity, and has unreal purity of flavor. It soars onto the palate, permeating it with an assortment of red berries, wave after wave of candied limes, and syrupy layers of honeyed slate. This stupendous, mind-numbingly long, earth-shattering wine may outlive anyone old enough to purchase it upon release. Projected maturity: 2015-2050+. Wow! Johannes Selbach, this estate's winemaker and director (as well as Terry Theise's man-on-the-ground in Germany) is on fire. His wines are top flight and yet his winemaking appears to be improving with each vintage. Readers should note that Selbach's wines typically appear substantially better after a few years of cellaring. I've tried to compensate for that by inserting plus (+) signs by those wines that have the most chance of improving significantly over time. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300