Carl
Grape Fermenter
Posts:462
 | | 01/23/2004 8:43 AM |
| | Sheurebe is a cross between Riesling and Silvaner (that little-known, little-understood native grape of Franken that I sometimes rant about being underappreciated). I have been seeing some steller reviews of Scheurebe wine (pronounced Shoy-Ray-Bay I would think), e.g. the 2001 Wittmann. Has anyone tried many of them? How do they differ, either in sweet or dry form, from Riesling? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 01/23/2004 11:47 AM |
| Oh boy...a Scheurebe question!!!!!!
I love Scheurebe! But I only love good, ripe Scheurebe. Unripe (or minimally ripe) Scheurebe tastes like Sauvignon Blanc with an extra kitty cat in it. It's vile.
When Scheurebe is ripe (good Spatlese) it has all kinds of lovely tropical aromas, as well as black currant and some of the sage/grass character but not too much of it. Scheurebe is also a wonderful grape for auslese and eiswein (never had a BA/TBA).
Muller-Catoir was always the standard bearer for Scheurebe in my opinion, but in 2002 it did not do well. If you can find any bottles of the 1998 or 2001 Muller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spatlese do not hesitate to buy them. They are both utterly amazing. Don't open them expecting a "normal" spatlese, as they are much riper than that. The '98 was legally a beerenauslese, and is one of my most prized wine posessions. I originally had 18 bottles, but I'm down to 9. It has not changed one bit since release. (that's the other thing with Scheu...it doesn't really age, it just rides along for 10 or so years or more before collapsing in the bottle...the '89 Catoirs are starting to crack up now) The 2001 is just as good but different. It's more lively, less unctuous. They are both world class wines.
Kurt Darting and Kruger Rumpf also do well with Scheurebe. Again I only buy Spatlese or Auslese (or eiswein...oh my God the '96 Darting Scheurebe Eiswein!!!!!!!) to keep the cat pee stuff at bay.
Try a Scheurebe. It's wild stuff.
David
oh yeah...it's shoy-ray-buh | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 01/23/2004 2:22 PM |
| Youmust have been trolling for me. I love Scheurebe dessert wines. In fact, I consider Scheurebe to the finest of all grapes for dessert wine. I only buy Scheurebe BAs and Eisweins, though I'm sure it makes a great TBA, I've yet to try one. The crisp grapey flavors are wonderful paired with the acidity. It's the intensity of these grape flavors that I love so much. It's more like spectacular grape juice than wine. You can taste the grape it was made from.
At a Syrah/Shiraz dinner with many VC people about a year ago, I brought a bottle of a Scheurebe Eiswein and it got raves, with people asking me where they could buy some. It may be a relative bargain compared to Riesling, but I like it more. Phelps makes an Eisrebe from the Scheurebe grape. At the winery last Summer, I told latour67 about it and we tasted it. He bought ten bottles on the spot. Seek this stuff out. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1355
| | 01/23/2004 5:28 PM |
| | Scheurebe is damn tasty stuff. I don't really care much for a QbA (Actually, I don't care much for QbAs in general), but the QmP Scheurebes are really... really... really good. I found them to be fuller bodied with more of a meaty fruit type taste to them. Exquisite wine. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 01/23/2004 5:46 PM |
| Oof...Scheurebe QbA: litter box city.
Scheurebe needs to be ripe, ripe, ripe. | | | |
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Carl
Grape Fermenter
Posts:462
| | 01/23/2004 5:49 PM |
| | Points all noted; thanks. I won't be looking for any Scheurebe Trocken any time soon! | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 01/23/2004 7:30 PM |
| | Btw, the 2001 Darting Scheurebe is a stunning wine. We had one at a Riesling taste at GATC's and everyone loved it. I think GATC cleaned out all supplies in the western United States buying for us. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 01/23/2004 7:56 PM |
| | Kurt Darting may be the master of Scheurebe now that Hans-Gunter Schwarz (Muller-Catoir) has retired. The 1996 Kurt Darting Durkheimer Fronhof Scheurebe TBA is a monument! What's scary is that the 1994 is even better. The best part is that the '96 ran me $40 on release! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Destemmer
Posts:96
| | 01/27/2004 12:08 AM |
| Another I have liked in the pat in for Scheurebe is Pfeffingen. Finished off my last 2000 (poor riesling vintage but nice schuerebe for Pfeffingen) recently.
Pfeffingen Scheurebe Spatlese 2000, Ungsteiner Herrenberg
Yellow straw colour with an immediate smell of grapefruit and citris. Picked up some sweetness on the aroma as well but to the taste well balanced and the sweetness was there but not strong. Then came more of the grapefruit and flowers on the finish. Quite a bit better than the last scheurebe we had and a fine scheurebe in a lesser year for riesling. | | | |
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stemor
Collierville, TN
Wine Thief
Posts:2807
| | 01/27/2004 5:18 AM |
| Skwid,
Isn't that the 2001 Darting Rieslaner that you thinking of? I recall GATC wiping out the Western US on that (and the bottle that he served at his July event showing very well), but haven't heard of him repeating the performance on a Scheurebe.
I've been through a few cases of 2001 Pfeffingen Scheurebe Spatlese and a case of the Auslese, with only a few more of each remaining. I'd agree with everone else's positive comments -- this is a fun grape when it is young and ripe. | |
Cheers, y'all | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 01/27/2004 6:53 AM |
| Actually you are correct Stemor. It was the rielaner. I've got six of these and haven't touched any of them. Should I be drinking them? I think I'll serve them when JW1 is around (to make sure I get some of the wine)  | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 01/27/2004 12:11 PM |
| You can certainly drink the Rieslaner, but it will age quite well. It's a beerenauslese (even though it says auslese on the label) with fine acidity & excellent extract, so with good storage it's got at least a 15 year (or more) lifespan in front of it.
I have a bunch of the '96, and it has not budged since release. The '01 has better material to start from, so I would not worry about aging a few bottles. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 01/27/2004 2:10 PM |
| | I have three bottles of the '01 Darting Rieslaner Auslese. I tasted it at a store and bought three bottles, but I wouldn't call it a BA. A BA should be sweeter than this. I believe GATC called this his wine of the year, quite high praise just considering the wines he and I shared together- '67 d'Yquem, '66 Latour, '69 Chappelet Cab, '69 and '70 Heitz Martha's. | | | |
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Dr_Tannin
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2498
| | 01/27/2004 2:34 PM |
| Board-O
Quote:
It's more like spectacular grape juice than wine.
That description is perfect. For Eiswein that is. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 01/27/2004 2:46 PM |
| | Dr.T, youremeber that one I brought to the Syrah/Shiraz dinner? I sent a bottle of it to Dick Bonder. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 01/27/2004 4:15 PM |
| Well I've had the luxury of pairing it with foie gras, and it worked as well as any BA I've ever tried.
I've had lots of cheap and expensive beerenauslesen that didn't come close to the quality of Darting's Rieslaner Auslese. | | | |
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