Egon Müller - Scharzhofberger Kabinett 2003
Weingut Egon Müller is located in the Saar Valley sub-region of the Moselle in Germany . The estate was established in 1797, when Jean-Jacques Koch purchased the Scharzhof farm from the French Republic. His daughter married Felix Müller and the estate has remained in the same family ever since. The current owner is Egon Müller IV , who studied at the best wine university in Geisenheim. A large part of the Scharzhofberg vineyard (8.5 hectares), located on the south-facing gray shale hillsides behind the Scharzhof house and winery, forms the heart of the Egon Müller estate. He works exclusively with the Riesling grape variety and the wines are produced at different levels of maturity : Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, and Auslese Goldkapsel in the best years. If conditions permit, sweet Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein are also produced.
Scharzhofberger comes from Riesling vines located in Wiltingen, far from the Saar in a side valley and facing south. The slopes of the vineyard are quite steep (30 to 60%) and high, between 180 and 280 meters above sea level. Formed from gray slate from the Devonian, the soils are very deep and without bedrock. Kabinett is the lightest style of Riesling, made from grapes that have a must weight of 67-82 degrees Oechsle (the hydrometric scale measuring the density of grape must), which equates to 148-188 g /L of residual sugar.
For Germany, the 2003 vintage was superb . The growing season experienced the same hot and steamy summer as the rest of Europe. The grapes ripened quickly in the heat and the rains in early September were a blessing for the Moselle.
Grape variety: 100% Riesling