The 2021 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese is an extraordinary noble-sweet Riesling from the legendary Scharzhofberg vineyard in the Saar, Germany, and represents one of the highest expressions of Egon Müller's historic estate. The 2021 vintage is particularly significant: a cool, long growing season produced wines reminiscent of the great classical Saar vintages of the 1970s and 1980s. Egon Müller himself compared the extraordinary fruit purity and intensity of 2021 with 1971, one of the greatest vintages in the estate's history. The Auslese was harvested very late, toward the end of November, from carefully selected botrytised Riesling grapes. Botrytis was limited in 2021, but the affected berries were exceptionally clean and concentrated, combining enormous flavour intensity with the naturally high acidity that defines this remarkable vintage.
At only 7.5% alcohol, the wine possesses extraordinary concentration without heaviness. It begins relatively closed before revealing fresh orchard fruit, quince and grapefruit alongside pineapple, candied citrus, exotic fruit, mint, herbs, spice and the unmistakable smoky-slate character of Scharzhofberg. The palate is sweet and concentrated but incredibly precise, with 126.5 g/L residual sugar balanced by an extraordinary 12.3 g/L acidity, creating tremendous tension between sweetness, fruit and mineral freshness. Salinity and spice build through the finish, while hints of honey and salted caramel emerge with air. Most importantly, Jean Fisch and David Rayer at Mosel Fine Wines awarded the 2021 Auslese a perfect 100 Points, describing it as a modern-day classic and giving a drinking window of 2036–2061.
