Egon-Müller is located is in the Saar valley just off the tributary of the same name, which runs off the Mosel River. The Egon Müller estate has been in the hands of the Müller family since 1797 and is an important part of the history of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region.

The estate owns 8.3 of the 28 hectares of the Scharzhofberg vineyard (which translates to “Scharzhof Mountain”), making them the largest landowner of the famed vineyard, which dates to Roman times. Muller’s holdings on Scharzhofberg also include a three-hectare parcel of old, un-grafted vines that were planted between 1890 and 1900.

Situated in Wiltingen, removed from the Saar in a side valley and facing south, Scharzhofberg’s slopes are quite steep, with a 30–60% grade, as well as quite high, at 180-280 meters elevation. It is renowned for its excellent sun exposure for long, slow ripening, as well as the quality of its steep slate terroir. The soils are very deep with no bedrock. The slate vineyards are well-drained (in a region that receives quite a bit of rain) and they warm up quickly, keeping the vines warm under the sun even during the coldest seasons. The vineyard naturally produces very low yields, usually around 2 tons/acre.

Scharzhofberg is considered to have Grand Cru status, and, as such, the wines from this vineyard are allowed to be labeled with their vineyard name (or Einzellage), rather than their village name.

The Müller family also owns a four-hectare domaine called Weingut “Le Gallais”, which they purchased in 1954. It is further down the Saar River between Wiltingen and Kanzem, and includes the Kupp and Wiltinger Braune Kupp single vineyard plots (which are vinified into their own eponymous bottlings). The rest of these vineyards (Saarburger Rausch, Wiltinger Braunfels and Oberemmeler Rosenberg) are used to produce their Riesling “Scharzhof”.

Following a manual harvest, the Riesling grapes are pressed without the skins, then fermented and aged in large (1,000 liter) oak casks traditionally used in the Mosel. For most of their cuvées, fermentation takes place using exclusively indigenous yeasts. Despite the global trend towards dry wines, Egon Müller proudly produces Pradikätswein Rieslings in a broad range of styles by harvesting their fruit at different times and vinifying them at various levels of sweetness.

Egon Müller also belongs to Primum Familiae Vini, a small group of prestigious, family-owned wineries of which he is the only German member. Other families include Vega Sicilia, Tenuta San Guido and Baron Philippe de Rothschild.

2020 Riesling "Scharzhof”
“Scharzhof” is the property’s most accessible wine. The QbA is sourced from vines in Saarburger Rausch, Oberemmeler Rosenberg, Wiltinger Kupp, and the Wiltinger Braunfels. The combination of top vineyards and Müller's intense dedication and spare-no-expense winemaking leave an obvious mark on the wine. This wine is a wonderful introduction to Riesling as well as to the Egon Müller range. 

Riesling Scharhofberger Kabinett
Scharzhofberger Kabinetts, in any vintage, are defined by their steely, mineral cut, finesse, and incredible length that showcase the wine’s pedigree. Müller's Kabinett has a magical ability to combine intensity and a seeming weightlessness.

Riesling Scharzhofberger Spätlese
Spätlese means “late harvest” but at Egon Müller, the term is used for wines made from grapes of superior ripeness or even from overripe grapes. The harvest usually begins very late and the weather is variable, so the ripest grapes often come from the best parcels rather than a later harvest date. Spätlese wines can carry more sugar than Kabinett without losing their balance. While they’re off-dry to semi-sweet when young, they reward cellaring with an incredible degree of complexity.

Riesling Wiltinger Braune Kupp “Le Gallais” Kabinett & Spätlese
One of the rarer bottlings from Egon Müller, the Wiltingen Braune Kupp offerings often get overlooked. Müller and his Scharzhofberg are one of the great combinations of winemaker and vineyard. Wiltinger Braune Kupp is a very different site than Scharzhofberg. Where Scharzhofberg is a fairly cool site, even for the Saar, Wiltinger Braune Kupp is closer to the river and thus produces riper fruit. The two sites are very different, but there is always a high-toned lift and finesse to the wines that only Müller could pull off. Since this vineyard has a tendency to produce wines designated for Auslese and up, the Kabinett and Spatlese bottlings don't always get made into their own wine. Anytime you see this for sale, it’s a worth grabbing!