Egon Muller : Riesling Scharzhof 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes for the Riesling "Scharzhof" 2023

Tasting

Colour
This white wine from Germany reveals a pale straw hue, brightened by delicate green highlights.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet offers remarkable mineral purity. It opens with notes of green apple and citrus, such as grapefruit, harmoniously blended with scents of jasmine, wet stone and a subtle touch of honey.

Palate
With a light to medium body, this wine displays a crisp, vibrant acidity that provides structure throughout. A delicate residual sweetness balances a typical saline minerality, leading to a refreshing and lingering finish.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs beautifully with spicy dishes, particularly Indian and Asian cuisine flavoured with ginger or Sichuan pepper. It also enhances seafood, oysters, steamed fish, as well as roasted white meats or fried dishes.

Service and storage

This Riesling "Scharzhof" 2023 can be enjoyed young for its vibrant fruitiness, but it also boasts excellent aging potential, allowing it to develop favourably in the cellar and be enjoyed until around 2043.

Other characteristics

This quality wine presents an off-dry profile thanks to a naturally halted fermentation. Its alcohol content stands at 8.5%.

The pure, mineral expression of a great Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine

The estate

Founded in 1797 by Jean-Jacques Koch following the acquisition of land confiscated during the French Revolution, Egon Muller estate is a true benchmark in Germany. Located in the renowned Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, this family-owned estate is today run by Egon Müller IV, who continues to uphold ancestral know-how. As the only German member of the prestigious Primum Familiae Vini association, the estate stands out for its exclusive dedication to Riesling and its philosophy centred on very low yields, ensuring wines of exceptional quality.

The vineyard

The grapes come from several renowned plots, including those of Wiltingen, Saarburg and Wawern. The vines thrive on steep slopes facing due south to maximise sun exposure in this cool climate. The terroir is characterised by deep soils of grey shale and blue Devonian slate, devoid of bedrock, allowing for deep root growth. The estate favours mechanical soil work, without chemical fertilisers or herbicides, in order to preserve the vitality of this unique environment.

The vintage

The year 2023 offered particularly favourable climatic conditions, combining generous sunshine with adequate water reserves. After fungal pressure in spring and a dry start to summer, welcome rains came to nourish the vines. September, warm and dry, allowed for rapid and optimal ripening of the berries, fostering remarkable aromatic concentration while preserving high acidity.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest is carried out exclusively by hand to select berries at their optimal ripeness. After gentle pressing, the must rests for twenty-four hours. Fermentation of this Riesling "Scharzhof" 2023 occurs spontaneously through indigenous yeasts, in traditional oak casks or stainless steel tanks. The process stops naturally, thereby preserving a slight sweetness. The wine is then delicately filtered before an early bottling to preserve all its freshness.

Grape variety

100% Riesling