Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett

In the glass

Summarised from the press reviews

Dense and fine at the same time, with a slate-driven nose, citrus notes and a touch of pineapple. The palate is spicy and fresh, with the very racy acidity of the cool vintage; the sweetness is precisely integrated, the wine still seems closed in its youth and is built for decades of ageing.

Value for money

At around €200 in the shops, this is an enthusiast's and collector's price, far above the category – you are paying for mystique and scarcity.

Goes well with

Light fish starters, sashimi or Asian cooking with gentle heat; really best on its own after long ageing.

The estate

In 1797 Jean-Jacques Koch acquired the Scharzhof, formerly church property secularised by the French Republic; through his daughter Elisabeth, who married Felix Müller, it passed to the Müller family. Today Egon Müller IV runs the estate, having been in charge since 1991. It owns around 8.5 hectares of the roughly 28-hectare Scharzhofberg, a steep slate site in a cool side valley of the Saar; since 1954 the family has also farmed the Le Gallais vineyards in the Wiltinger Kupp.