Germany · Mosel

Egon Muller

Egon Müller is the most revered name in German wine and the producer of the world's most expensive Riesling. The estate in Scharzhofberg — one of the Mosel's greatest single vineyards, sitting above the Saar tributary — has been in the Müller family since 1797 and is today run by Egon Müller IV. The Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese from the finest years — 1975, 1976, 2003, and above all the legendary 2003 — regularly achieves prices at auction that rival the most expensive wines in the world. But even the estate's Kabinett and Spätlese represent extraordinary quality: crystalline acidity, explosive fruit, and the profound mineral Saar character that makes these wines virtually immortal. Production is minuscule and highly sought after, with only a few thousand bottles made even in generous years. The estate also owns parcels in Braune Kupp. Winemaking is entirely traditional: long, cold fermentations in old fuder, minimal intervention, and bottling of only fully developed wines. At auction, Egon Müller is unique in the German market: the TBA lots achieve extraordinary prices, but even the Spätlese and Auslese command premiums reflecting the estate's absolute prestige.