Müller-Catoir Herzog Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese 375ml 2008

This is a Trockenbeerenauslese from Rieslaner, the crossing that has become Müller-Catoir's most reliable sweet wine variety.

Rieslaner is a cross of Silvaner and Riesling developed in 1921, little planted but central to the history of this Pfalz estate. Hans-Günter Schwarz, the cellar master here from 1962 to 2002, brought the variety to Müller-Catoir and planted it in the Herzog vineyard at Haardt, where he made a series of sweet wines that are now nearly impossible to find; Martin Franzen has continued the line since 2003. Rieslaner's inclination to botrytis even in dry years, combined with the high acidity it retains, is what makes it so well suited to the style. Trockenbeerenauslese is the ripest Prädikat level, picked berry by berry from shrivelled, botrytised fruit, and the numbers show what that means here: 6.5% alcohol, 19.3 grams per litre of acidity and 335 grams of residual sugar. The estate has re-issued these back vintages from its own cellar.

Intensely sweet but carried by that acidity, it will keep for decades; serve at 8-10°C in small measures with a fruit tart, blue cheese or simply on its own after dinner.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.