WTN: It's Scheu Time

[David M. Bueker]

2004 Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Spatlese

This is an overtly tropical, tons of fun, easy to slurp waaaayyy too much Scheurebe. Pick a tropical fruit (except Durian) and it's in there. Fantastic acidity to balance things, a little CO2 still in there for an extra kick, and screwcap to boot!

What's not to love?! It's a monster of a Herrenberg Scheurebe.

David, while Scheurebe can be perfectly adequate, Riesling is usually better and I tend not to buy or drink either Scheurabe or Silvaner.

I guess it is sort of like drinking Carmenere when you could as easily drink Cabernet. Except for a brief taste once in a long while just for the sake of variety, neither Carmenere, nor Scheurebe would form a regular part of my wine intake nor cellar.

[David M. Bueker]

Nothing about better or worse here Bill - this wine is unlike any expression of Riesling available. There is no comparison. You might as well be comparing Riesling to Bordeaux.

Thanks for the tn David. I love the Scheurebe spatlese of Pfeffingen, a friend of me imports Pfeffingen to the Netherlands so I have been able to taste some different Scheurebes they produce last year. The basic Scheurebe Spatlese has a very high QPR. The first Scheurebe I had was a Beerenauslese of Pfeffingen (this wine had an insane acid backbone), could have been worse
I dont think I had any 2004 though but I do know I loved the basic Scheurebe 2005 spatlese a lot.
You also mention a high acidity in your tn, I have also found this in most of the Scheurebes I tasted of them and because the wines have so much fruit they also needs these refreshing acids. I red somewhere Scheurebe produces low acid wines, are the Scheurebes of Pfeffingen one of the few or is it generally not true Scheurebes lack acidity?

[David M. Bueker]

Felix,

I'm not sure in general, but the Scheurebe I buy is never notably low acid. I don't care for it if it is.

Sounds like something I'd love. Don't see any 04s in Wine-Searcher, only 06s. Imagine they are comparable, no?

[David M. Bueker]

Pfeffingen's '06s are even bigger: half Camen Miranda's hat and half Cotat Sancerre - put them both together what a fine looking Scheu.

It's a standing 'joke' around here that Scheurebe "is my favourite grape" (It's not - but it is my favourite of the Geisenheim crosses). I've had dozens (possibly hundreds) and one characteristic (aside from its signature blackcurrant nose(for me)) is certainly it's high acidity - I have had a flabby TBA or two but don't recall anyone producing a low-acid version (Any shipper/producer?).
Incidentally I recall, from my early interest, that this was originally marketed as 'Hitlerrebe' which name was subsequently dropped (for obvious marketing reasons) before being named after its original developer (I still recall having some bottles designated as S88 - which was its crossing ID). But I can no longer find any reference to Hitlerrebe. Does anyone else recall it?

(I still recall having some bottles designated as S88 - which was its crossing ID).

Strauss exports their wine in Austria from that grape as 'Sämling 88', but I don't know how commonly that is done in Austria (or elswhere?).

I'm not a fan of all his work, but he sure nailed Scheurebe!



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Alan, Hitler was still on the western front in WWI when Georg Scheu came up with the vine (in 1916.) It seems possible though that S88 was renamed Hilterrebe just as Kaiser Weck was renamed Hitler Weck during the Nazi era.

Keith, It seems to me that many Austrians are finally abandoning 'Saemling 88' in favor of 'Scheurebe.' Wo ist Herr Pronay?!

-Bill

[David M. Bueker]

I know Kracher uses "Scheurebe."

This Hitler-Rebe story intrigued me. I just gave a call to an older winemaker in Germany and he confirms to me that Scheu-Rebe was called Hitler-Rebe during the NS era. But he couldn't remember why.

[David M. Bueker]

I just gave a call to an older winemaker in Germany and he confirms to me that Scheu-Rebe was called Hitler-Rebe during the NS era. But he couldn't remember why.

It's probably better that way.

while Scheurebe can be perfectly adequate, Riesling is usually better and I tend not to buy or drink either Scheurabe or Silvaner.

Riesling may be the finer grape but not always better: it depends on the food. Scheurebe and Silvaner go much better with Bavarian-styled food (i.e. with cumin or marjolaine) than Riesling.

I just gave a call to an older winemaker in Germany and he confirms to me that Scheu-Rebe was called Hitler-Rebe during the NS era. But he couldn't remember why.

It's probably better that way.

No-no, it's not what you think: he couldn't remember if it was a meant as a joke by ordinary people (making analogies between the grape's properties and some of the stupidities of the regime) or whether it was used by the regime for promotion.

This Hitler-Rebe story intrigued me. I just gave a call to an older winemaker in Germany and he confirms to me that Scheu-Rebe was called Hitler-Rebe during the NS era. But he couldn't remember why.

Thanks for your effforts, JeanF.
I was beginning to wonder if this was an urban legend of my own making, as I've asked several visiting winemakers about this (most recently Rainer Lingenfelder, who also makes a good version of Scheurebe).

My recollection is that the initial story came from Dr Becker at Geisenheim, who probably had more stories than anyone else - so I'm not sure how many were true and which were for 'effect'.
My favourite was the one about the phylloxera outbreak, which the Germans (supposedly) tried to prevent by putting up "Phylloxera Keep Out" signs at the border.

Another concerned how one determined which of the multiple crossings, that were developed at Geisenheim, would potentially make the best wines. Dr Becker claimed that he would watch the rabbits in the morning. Whichever vines they went to eat at first would have the 'tastiest' grapes which would then make the better wines!