David Walker
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284
 | | 12/19/2004 3:55 PM |
| I just picked up a few bottles of the '01 Darting Scheurebe Spatlese for $10 ea. I actually bought a single bottle to drink as a quaffer over Thanksgiving, and wanted to get a few more for the upcoming holiday, as well.
I'm not familiar with this grape. Bottle is the same as Riesling, and it certainly drinks a heck of a lot like Riesling. Is this just something Darting does? I've not seen any of this before. Doesn't he also grow Rieslaner? | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 12/19/2004 4:45 PM |
| Scheu is a hybrid grape. They're very, very good usually. Notes are more tropical fruit, fleshy meaty type stuff like Mangos and Papayas. A really good grape, probably the best grape science has ever made.  | | | |
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David Walker
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284
| | 12/19/2004 5:08 PM |
| Quote:
They're very, very good usually.
I agree - very tasty and, I think, an excellent QPR. Thanks for the info! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/19/2004 9:33 PM |
| | I know I'm in a tiny minority on this, but I think Scheurebe is the best dessert wine grape in the world. I've had the Darting Spatlese and liked it a lot, but where this grape really shines is in its sweetest incarnations. I have one bottle left of a Bisserheimer Scheurebe Eiswein that is truly great. I also have a Kracher Scheurebe. The best dessert wine I've ever had from North America is Phelps Eisrebe, an ice wine made from the Scheurebe grape. I know a lot of people here also love that wine. In 2003, when we visited Phelps with latour67, he took his first sip of it and bought ten bottles. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12385
| | 12/19/2004 9:37 PM |
| | The only experience I have with Scheurebe is Phelps Eisrebe (thank you, Board_O). And, I love that dessert wine. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 12/21/2004 4:59 PM |
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Ok, Scheurebe is a crossing (not a hybrid) of Riesling x Silvaner. It was created by Dr. Georg Scheu (hence the name), and is one of the (if not the) greatest crossing in that huge morass of German grape crossings (e.g. Albalonga, Ortega, Bacchus, Sigerrebe...). The only other one that can possibly reach the same heights as Scheurebe is Rieslaner.
Scheurebe can do some amazing things. When it's less ripe (e.g. kabinett style) it can be very Sauvignon-esqu, with even more overpowering cat pee notes. When it's fully ripe (spatlese and above) it is indeed one of the greatest off-dry or sweet wines in the whole world.
Darting does a great job with Scheu. Muller-Catoir was the undisputed master until Hans-Gunter Schwarz retired (after the 2001 vintage). The best Scheurebe I have ever tasted will come down to between the 1998 Muller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spatlese and the 2001 version of the same wine. They are both un-freakin'-amazing! The 1996 Kurt Darting Durkheimer Fronhof Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese is the best dessert Scheu I have ever tasted that was not from Muller-Catoir.
Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe does a fine job with Scheu. Gysler (Rheinhessen) also does well, and created a Sekt from 2001 Scheu juice called "Bundle of Scheu." It's a lovely, lively, light and oh so friendly sparkler at a bargain price.
Scheurebe is distinctly different from Riesling in its rather pronounced herbal and cassis characteristics. Also, it does not age in the same way. Scheurebe pretty much holds steady from birth to death. The 1998 Catoir described above tastes pretty much like it did on release. In fact, a 1989 version op that same wine, tasted in 1999, had no secondary development at all. I've had very fresh bottles of the 1993 as recently as 2003. So don't go burying Scheurebe in the cellar to wait for some amazing change. It ain't gonna happen.
All that said, I love Scheurebe. It has its fans and its detractors. Welcome to the official Scheurebe fan club. We meet in the cave near the second cove at midnight on the night of the new moon. Follow the three witches. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12385
| | 12/21/2004 5:20 PM |
| | Thanks for the interesting & educational post, Rieslingfan. | | | |
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David Walker
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284
| | 12/22/2004 12:25 AM |
| Agreed. Thanks a lot, RF. | | | |
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Marco
Barrel Filler
Posts:1041
| | 12/22/2004 4:51 AM |
| | Thanks for the great info. I have a Joseph Phelps Eisrebe lined up for x-mas eve. Can't wait! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 12/22/2004 12:13 PM |
| I like the Eisrebe. It's a very different animal than German Eiswein, but very tasty and good QPR.
If you want to taste something really superlative that is still available with some looking (like say at Premier Cru for a good price) try the 2001 Muller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Eiswein. I had it at a dinner in Saarbrucken in September 2003 (what a meal...) and it just blew me away. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 12/22/2004 12:15 PM |
| | Oh yeah...another thing I wanted to mention is about Darting. He also makes Auslese from a grape called Huxelrebe. It's usually quite a steal as well. I's a little more rustic than Rieslaner, but at the Auslese or BA level (or higher) it does very good things at bargain prices. | | | |
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whiner
Second star to the right, and straight on till morning
Wine Thief
Posts:2871
| | 12/22/2004 1:57 PM |
| Quote:
The best Scheurebe I have ever tasted will come down to between the 1998 Muller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spatlese and the 2001 version of the same wine.
I never got a chance to taste the '98. But the '01 is astounding -- imo, one of the greatest Spatleses I've ever tasted, Scheurebe or otherwise. I have one left (I drank them too quickly) and it is earmarked for a special occasion.
Quote:
Oh yeah...another thing I wanted to mention is about Darting. He also makes Auslese from a grape called Huxelrebe. It's usually quite a steal as well. I's a little more rustic than Rieslaner, but at the Auslese or BA level (or higher) it does very good things at bargain prices.
Up through about a year ago I could still find 375ml bottles of 1998 Darting Huxlreube Beernauslese for less than $25/bottle. What a steal that wine was, one of my favorite desert wines...
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I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland.
-- Woody Allen | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 12/22/2004 2:39 PM |
| | There's an '03 Darting Huxelrebe BA that is darned good and not much more expensive than the 1998. | | | |
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Stephen D.
Grape Fermenter
Posts:678
| | 12/22/2004 2:46 PM |
| " Huh, Scheurebe! Shattered, Shattered."
I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. Great post RF. | | | |
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