Pride & Scheu

Hans Günter Schwarz defined an era of Scheurebe—𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭—marked by his leadership of the Müller-Catoir, for over forty years.
Klaus Peter Keller operates his leading winery in the neighboring region to the north, Rheinhessen.

• 2020 Weingut Keller Scheurebe Kabinett 93 Points

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  8.5% abv. AP 09. 50°F/10°C.
  EYE: in 928 days this has gained just a bit of green and bright sand color.
  NOSE: the riot of stimulation is now winched and felted into something more coherent. Sliced serranos retreat into shadows of citron. Lemon-lime excavates shaded flowers. It presents elegantly in evening attire.
  MOUTH: I find more poise of character here, too. The usual markers of acid, sugar, body, and so forth, are inadequate terms for defining its features. It's not exactly dry, but it can certainly play the part. Acidity isn't glaring; it hisses sharply, below grade, in stone structure that supports the flavor event. In development, a drink methodically gathers savage aromatics—peppermint, saltmarsh, lemon, matcha.
  TIME/KINESIS: it clearly gains expression. The finish firms up, leaving a reliable, iron-rich quarried grip. The plumbing and drapes show exotic moments of spiced mandarin, rhubarb, and juniper in heavy perfume. It never relinquishes dry focus. It was 92 in the first 30 minutes, now after an hour, an emphatic 93.
  ________
  24 hours later, a very appropriate and stylish pairing with taqueria carryout—remotely reminiscent of Jarritos Grapefruit.

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• 1983 Müller-Catoir Haardter Herrenletten Scheurebe Spätlese 94 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  9% abv, according to the loosely fitting importer label. AP: see*. 50°F/10°C. Very good fill. Not surprisingly, the cork is encased in stained glazes and is ready to tear apart.
  
  First 10 minutes. EYE: brilliant bronze iced tea color. NOSE: guava, assam tea, strawberry compote; gathering lemon oil, graphite. MOUTH: sweetness glides on top of dry flavors of lithic erosion; slightly more bitter than acid; bakery crumble; hazelnut; I am reminded of a recent 1964 Vouvray, fwiw.
  
  30 minutes: later emerge some dramatic details. Configurations alternate between 1) balsam, limoncello, anchovy, and 2) medieval cherry forest and marzipan perfumed manuscripts, and 3) Mobile to New Orleans, with diner coffee, cigarettes, and beignets. Meet me in the parking lot.
  
  60 minutes. A maddening embrace of apricot and lemon peel, translucent, somehow aerosol and grave. The shoulders of this wine are just beginning to limber. Acidity is gathering in nascent storm, dragging a trailing edge of explosive yellow sunshine. Panic murmurations, a disembodied bird colony, larks tongues in marmalade.
  
  I would be happy to own another bottle of this for drinking 1987-2047.
  
  ________
  *Amtliche Prüfungnummer is printed here in an unusual way. Some characters are clearly included in the label stock (ⓢⓞ below), and others are incidental to this specific bottling (shown here in standard script.)
  83 22 'ⒶⓅⓃ' ⑤ ①⑦④ ⓪⑦⑨ 19 84

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Someday I hope to find a stash of 1980-2002 Müller Catoir Rieslaner.