TN - 2018 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese

WINE TALK
1

After the recent thread on Egon Muller pricing, a local retailer and friend encouraged me to give the 2018 Spatlese a try.

In that Muller thread I made the following 3 statements,

  1. They are unique- so that will always be a reason to buy if you really love them- but the QPR is definitely not there like it used to be
  2. At current pricing and demand levels, I think it makes the most sense to go after the auction wines in vintages you really like, or older bottles from vintages that are not generally heralded by the average wine consumer but were outstanding in the Mosel
  3. But $150+ for new vintages that are not from Auction, and at my age, nope.

I stand by #1, but I may have to eat my words on #2 and #3. First off, after obtaining the tasting bottle of 2018 Spatlese I did some research and older Muller is not just sitting around at decent prices like it used to (I should have expected that.) Second, while I am thinking of bidding on the 2019 Spatlese at Auction this year- when I got my bid sheet a couple of days ago and did my research- I am betting that the 2019 Spatlese will hammer for at least 400 Euros. And so perhaps it might be smarter to buy the regular Spatlese in a vintage you really like- and especially in a year like 2018 where one was not offered at auction presumably boosting the quality of the regular bottling.

Leaving all that aside, the 2018 is really lovely stuff, and I might have to squirrel a bit of that and the Kabinett away. The extremes of recent years have been interesting- but 2018 is a true classic and that shines through in this gem.

2018 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese

Opened yesterday evening and sampled over two hours- lovely pale canary yellow color, on the nose quite reserved with pear and lime scents, white flowers, a hint of blood orange, on the palate firm with a good mid-weight zesty pear and peach fruit bathed in lime acids that elegantly flow into a fine long finish, a topnote of honey- ethereal and elegant with dashes of rose petal that adds no weight to this elegant beauty, 24 hours later limes and slate on the nose, pronounced slate tones throughout the palate which is more open but also quite primary and less defined, succulent white cherries, thrilling blood orange notes, lime zest, the honey tone is now fully integrated offering hints of sweetness yet still no weight to the palate, as always its genius is in its serenity combined with an endless trove of nuances that will provide innumerable savory delights in the years to come.

(****)+, 2030-2050+

2

I didn’t look properly at the listing this year but Muller auction Spatlesen are quite rare.

It absolutely used to make sense (In relative pricing terms) to buy the auction Kabi. But that ended around 2014/5.

3

Interesting. A bottle of the 2018 QbA showed up at home the other day. Will have to give it a try and maybe put in a small order. Thanks.

4

Great notes Tom. Just had a small glass of the QbA. Very excited to pick up a few more Muller. Unfortunately it looks like my local retailer is only getting Kabinett and GK. I’ll have to look for some Spatlese and QbA somewhere else.

5

I’ve had the Kabinett and it was truly wonderful. Like drinking fresh, lightly tropical mountain water. I’d love, love, love to try the Spät but with the Kabinett already being at a certain price point I’m not likely to.

That said, I also had the QbA and found it a disappointment; not close to the Kabinett’s level of balance, complexity, and outright joy. A sure fire pass for me seeing as it’s still almost $50 USD here.

6

nice note. I own the 2018 Spatlese, but it is still in CA where purchased awaiting cool weather shipping.

7

Agreed, the QbA is generally a fine wine, but not worth the price. The Kabinett on the other hand I argue has a better quality/price ratio, as it is a monumental step up from the QbA.