Did I get a good deal on these wines?

A retail shop in Columbus recently bought out a private cellar and since the fills were so excellent (within 1/2 inch of the cork) I bought these two wines with others still unpriced to see about later. 1983 Burklin-Wolf Scheurebe Eiswein Forster Mariengarten for 28$ and 1982 Shafer Res. Cabernet Sauvignon for 40$. Assuming good cellar storage, I would think the German dessert wine is a no-brainer and the Shafer more of a maybe. I have no idea how good a year 1982 was in Napa but maybe this is worth the gamble. What do you all out there think? Should I try these soon and go back for more?

Actually, I'd consider the two wines just the opposite: the Shafer reserve 1982 is a no-brainer and the German wine is a maybe.

1982 was an excellent vintage in Napa, and Shafer was (is?) one of the top producers in the 1980s. I have fond memories of this wine. It ought to be good still as a mature red at 25 years.

Burkin-Wolf is an excellent producer of German wines from the Pfalz, to be sure. But Forster Mariengarten is a Grosslage. And Scheurebe ain't riesling. So that's two big strikes against the credibility of this as a top German wine.

Given a choice between the two, I'd bet on the Shafer, hands down, as the better value.

Given good provenance, of course--always a factor with wine this old.

-Paul W.

Thanks for the note Paul. I was unaware that Mariengarten was a Grosslagen or the excellence of 1982 in Napa and Shafer wines of that era. There is much more Shafer than Eiswein so will try both soon so as to maybe pick up more. The store had lots of other 82's like Buehler and Durney so may think about those too.

Although Forster Mariengarten is a Grosslage it consists of several Einzellagen, all acreage from Bürklin Wolf in this Lage - which consists of 13 Einzellagen - comes to about 3,5 hectare in all.

Scheurebe is a cross breading from Riesling and an unknown wild grape variety, and if the books are right 1983 was one of the warmest summers here so it should have had enough time for ripening, so...I would surely buy it for this price...

Although Forster Mariengarten is a Grosslage it consists of several Einzellagen, all acreage from Bürklin Wolf in this Lage - which consists of 13 Einzellagen - comes to about 3,5 hectare in all.

Richard,

For clarification, are you saying that although the wine is classified as a Grosslage that the blend is made from grapes that actually come from Bürklin Wolf's Einzellage sites within that Grosslage?

And, is the aging profile, timeline, and potential for Scheurebe akin to that for Riesling?

Thanks,

Keith

According to Wikipedia Forster Mariengarten sonsits of 22 Einzellagen (how did i come to 13? )

These are the Forster Einzellagen inside this Grosslage:
Forst

* Elster
* Freundstück
* Jesuitengarten
* Kirchenstück
* Musenhang
* Pechstein
* Ungeheuer

According to the Homepage of Buerklin-Wolf all of his Einzellagen except the Ruppertsberger Lagen are insde this Grosslage, so this wine can either be a blend of Einzellagen or just another marketing.


I personally don`t think Scheurebe has same potential than Riesling has; aging profile, timeline? Good question. The timeline of my wine is not very long, just from the vintner to the throat

Only 1 experience of scheurebe I can recall - here's the tasting note:

1976 Michael Schäfer Burg-Layer Johannisberg Scheurebe Auslese - Germany, Nahe (1/21/2006)
The (long) cork on this had a fair amount of mould on the top, but it came out in one and though obviously soaked right through and a rich caramel colour, the initial nose of the wine suggested it was still in fine shape.

The wine is a bright amber colour, clear, but with some crystallisation in the bottle and on the bottom of the cork.

The nose is rich with dominant syrupy apricot. The same taste comes through on the palate together with a touch of Mandarin, lemon, pineapple and a hint of orange zest. The acidity and sweetness are both prominent, but beautifully balanced with the richness of the fruit. The finish is long and it's here that the acidity feels just right and gives it a wonderful freshness.

I've never had this grape (Scheurebe) before, but I'd read that it can age well. On this evidence I'd agree (though I'm sure the vintage - 1976, helped significantly). I couldn't see it getting any better, but then any more would be greedy!

A great wine (for not very much money!) and even went very well with Morrocan spiced Haddock and Mashed squash with NZ pepper rub.

Richard,

My reservations concerning the German wine are twofold:

1) This is a Grosslage wine, albeit from a very respected producer with a top-notch reputation. But the fact that it's labeled Forster Mariengarten (a Grosslage) can't be ignored or set aside. If the grapes from this wine were of top provenance, the wine would have been labeled with an Einzellage name. But that being said, I'd be inclined to take a Burklin-Wolf Grosslage wine over Einzellagen wines from lesser producers.

2) This is Scheurebe, not riesling. This grape variety was bred to achieve higher ripeness and sugar levels, at the expense of the acidity and aromatic qualities of more traditional and ancient varieties. I'd be more worried about a late-harvest scheurebe falling apart over time than a riesling. And so I advise caution here. Taste before buying, if you can.

-Paul W.

Thanks all for the replies. I'll probably open one soon and split into a screw top 1/2 bottle for later opening. I'll post a note when I taste it.