07 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett #3
Scharzhofberger Super Saar Special @ $39.99
"This particular Kabinett had just been bottled prior to my visit, and it would not surprise me if I have slightly underrated it."
- John Gilman, View from the Cellar
Wouldn't surprise me either. Frankly, I'd say Gilman has most certainly underrated this wine, which is only natural.
Try looking at a tiny seed and judging the character of the oak tree that will emerge, 10, 20, 30+ years down the road. Not an easy science.
Evaluating an Egon Müller of any Prädikat in its youth is very difficult; assessing one that's just made the rude and brutal passage from barrel to bottle is damn close to impossible. Nearly always the journey will have put the wine in a cranky, awkward frame of being.
Yet Egon Müller's legendary wines from the Scharzhofberger, even more than most, require time to come into their true form. I had a humbling reminder of the endurance of Müller's Scharzhofberger last week at Eleven Madison Park, when a friend pulled out a 1976 Egon Müller Kabinett that was not only alive, it was stunning. Now, this bottle was in beautiful condition - it had obviously been bought near release and cellared perfectly for 30+ years. Yet, with such a perfect provenance, this 33-year-old Kabinett was a wine of nuanced, subtle profundity.
Yes. A Kabinett. 33 years of age.
I don't mean to overstate the emotion of the moment, but nearly everyone at the table was quiet as they sipped the wine. This was a table of considerable wine experience - two others from retail, someone from Christies, two importers - yet we all sort of knew, you just don't see Egon Müller's of this age, of this Prädikat, in this condition. I've had more expensive and extraordinary wine experiences - bottles with bigger and better bragging rights. But damn, as the last sips were taken there was a sense of sweet melancholy at the table. Someone softly spoke, almost as if to themselves, "It's unlikely any of us will ever experience an Egon Müller this old, and in this condition, again." We could do nothing but gently nod our heads in agreement.
With this as the backdrop, today's offer presents Egon Müller's 2007 Scharzhofberger Kabinett AP# 3 at an incredible, lowest-in-the-nation, price of $39.99.
This is one of Germany's greatest Kabinetts, from one of Germany's greatest vintages. The potential here is almost immeasurable. Though you don't necessarily have to wait three decades before you open this wine, 2007 is of a quality that if you want to wait, and if you cellar properly, I have little doubt you will be rewarded for waiting. I would, however, try and hold the bottle for 3+ years before drinking, or at least open well in advance of consuming, say 1-5 hours.
How we arrived at the pricing is simple - the importer has simply discounted the bottle and I personally don't want to miss the opportunity to cellar this Kabinett at well above 20% off. After my Eleven Madison experience, there is no question for me personally - I am buying a case to put away.
Quantities are limited; order by emailing us at offers@crushwineco.com or calling the store at (212) 980-9463. All orders subject to confirmation.
Stephen Bitterolf
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2007 Scharzhofberger Kabinett AP#3
Price: $45.95
Compare at up to $70
John Gilman, View from the Cellar: "2007 Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett AP #3- Weingut Egon Müller. This particular Kabinett had just been bottled prior to my visit, and it would not surprise me if I have slightly underrated it because of its recent bottling. The wine is beautiful on both the nose and palate, as it jumps from the glass in a blend of pear, bread fruit, slate, petrol, lime blossoms and iris blooms. On the palate the wine is medium-full, long and nascently complex, with great mid-palate depth, laser-like focus, a very racy expression of minerality, bracing acids and stunning length and grip on the snappy and palate-staining finish. This is a stunning Kabinett in the making."
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