News — Germany

The Rarest of the Rare: 2018 Wasenhaus Spätburgunderr Kanzel

"At their best, they remind us of 2001, but subtler and deeper." - 2019 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spätlese

We wanted to kick off our 2019 German offerings in a big way.

There's no expression of Riesling quite like Müller's Scharzhofberger. It offers intensity without weight; a steely nobility that's breathtaking.

No Precedent: Burgundian? Chablisien? Do not miss…

We very purposely left out the mention of “Weissburgunder,” or Pinot Blanc, from the subject line.

For the simple reason that the grape variety here provides no context for what these wines are. We don’t believe there are any precedents for these wines.

The Cool-Climate Back Up the Truck!
2019 Seehof Pinot Noir Rosé

Rosé is, in a way, one of the simplest wines of the vinous world. This is also what makes getting it perfect so hard. With rosé, the message has to be immediate, direct, dazzling, and refreshing. You should want the next glass before you’re even done with the one you have.

Rare: 2018 Wasenhaus Pinot Noir Trilogy - Vulkan, Bellen & Möhlin

Wasenhaus is, at the moment, perhaps the most exciting young estate in Germany. It's somewhat extraordinary that Wasenhaus' reputation has grown so large and so quickly. The estate is tiny, little more than a minuscule collection of old-vine parcels farmed by two Germans who met working in Burgundy years ago.

Silky, Satiny Skin Contact: 2018 Enderle & Moll “Weiss & Grau”

This is one of the most elegant, silky, and tapered skin-contact wines we have ever tasted. In some ways, it is inexplicable, but in the warm vintage of 2018, Sven Enderle and Florian Moll crafted their most delicate, most transparent, and most elegant “Weiss & Grau.”

“Perfect in Proportion” - Cool-Climate, Calm and Collected: 2019 Lauer “Senior”

“Sourced from 70+-year-old, ungrafted vines in one of Florian’s coolest Grand Cru parcels, Lauer’s ‘Senior’ is simply one of the great dry Rieslings of Germany.” We wrote the above line in last year’s “Senior” offering, and we believe it now more than ever: This is, without question, one of the greatest values in white wine - Grand Cru in everything but price.

Weightless Intensity - Don’t Miss Cult Pinot:
2018 Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir "Liaison"

The 2018 Liaison delivers more of everything... except weight. 2018 is shaping up to be a breakout red wine vintage in Germany.

2016 Keller Westhof Abtserde GG

Along with Keller's G-Max, Abtserde is the most sought-after wine in all of Germany. Even beyond Germany, few wines are hunted down as aggressively or are harder to find than Keller's Abtserde. This is currently the only listing for the 2016 Abtserde in the country. 

The Singular Balance: 2018 Enderle & Moll Weissburgunder Muschelkalk

The white wines of Enderle & Moll have quietly become cult favorites. The Weissburgunder Muschelkalk represents the "Grand Cru" of their lineup.

Rare Sightings, Part Two:
2017 Keller Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs

Two weeks ago, we offered Keller's 2012 Kirchspiel GG. It sold out in a couple of hours. Today, we're happy to present Keller's 2017 Kirchspiel GG. I should warn you from the outset that the 2017 is much less available than the 2012.

Absolutely Bulletproof
2018 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich & Domprobst Kabinett

We've learned to approach Willi Schaefer Kabinett offers with trepidation. This is where fans of the estate devote most of their attention.

Keller Goes Orange
2018 Keller Grauer Burgunder Trocken Reserve Alte Reben

Keller has taken the wine world by storm. His GGs have become impossible to find. Today, we're happy to present part of Keller's line-up that works on an entirely different wavelength. 

Back With A Vengeance:
2018 Willi Schaefer Himmelreich Grosses Gewächs

"This is a stunning expression of airy dry Mosel Riesling." We haven't seen a Schaefer GG bottling since 2012. In 2018, it came back in a big way.

The Magic of Mineral
1987 Lauer Riesling Sekt Reserve

Force, power, rigor, minerality. And yes, we are talking about a wine with over three decades of age. It’s been well over a year since Florian Lauer released any Reserve sparkling wines from his cold cellars in the Saar. As one of the most lavish, plush and powerful sparkling wines we’ve ever had from him, the 1987 has been worth the wait.

Mosel Holy Trinity - 2018 Weiser-Künstler:
Steffensberg, Gaispfad & Ellergrub Grosse Eule

Simply put, Weiser-Künstler is making some of the greatest wines in Germany. It's clear both in how people speak of the estate and in the wines themselves that Weiser-Künstler is doing everything right. They are shimmeringly clear and featherweight wines that shock you with their minerality, precision, and overall composition.

Kirchspiel GG’s Alter Ego:
2017 & 2018 Keller Kirchspiel Riesling RR

The Kirchspiel vineyard is a sea of limestone, except for a tiny .33-hectare parcel of red soil. This is where the Kirchspiel RR enters the stage.

2018 Lauer Rarities:
Fass 2 “Extra Trocken,” Fass 3 & Fass 4

Today we introduce two never-before imported Lauer rarities, off-dry Fass 3 and Fass 4. Then, to form a holy trinity, we add what we’ve called the “razorblade” of Lauer’s stable, Fass 2 Extra Trocken. A recent tasting of Lauer's 2018s confirmed the hype coming out of Germany about Florian Lauer’s 2018 collection: This is a do-not-miss, tour-de-force vintage for Lauer.

"Impeccably pure" - 2016 Weiser-Künstler Riesling Gaispfad

Simply put, the 2016 Gaispfad is a brilliant bottle of Riesling. It's a wine that covers such a broad flavor spectrum, everything from stone fruits, to spice, to floral notes, to stony minerality and much more. The total package is insanely detailed, incisive and beautifully textured.

Mineral Fireworks: 2018 Lauer “Senior”

With vintage 2018, Lauer presents us with the most explosive “Senior” bottling since the celebrated 2007. For the first time ever, we begin our 2018 vintage German campaign with one of our most popular offerings every year: Lauer’s formidable dry Riesling “Senior.”

“The greatest dry wines I’ve ever made” - 2015 JB Becker Walkenberg Auslese Trocken

For Hans-Josef Becker, the dry Riesling reign began with his first vintage in 1971. Yet the pinnacle comes forty-four years later. Today we present a tiny, final parcel of his top dry wine, the Walkenberg Auslese Trocken. This is his Grand Cru dry Riesling, and it is a formidable monument to one of the top vintages of the last few decades.

2013 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spätlese

Last week, we offered Egon Müller's Auslese. We couldn't resist offering one more of Müller's wines before the week ended. As we said in the Auslese offering, for us, Müller makes some of the greatest wines in the world.

Indescribable Magic:
2017 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Auslese Half-Bottles

Line up the top wines of the world, toss an Egon Müller into the mix and watch people's eyes light up when the Müller comes around the table. The wines are simply that good. No wines on earth offer the thrilling contrast between intensity and dancing, intricate delicacy. The wines can haunt you for days.

2017 Seehof Weissburgunder Morstein R

Less than half a hectare, old vines, and a very famous brother-in-law. If Keller's G-Max grabs the easy headlines with its ballooning auction prices, many wine geeks consider Morstein the greatest vineyard of the Rheinhessen. Think of it as a limestone quarry, with vines on top.