Anheuser & Fehrs - Marcobrunner Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1921

Anheuser & Fehrs – Marcobrunner Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1921

1. General information

The Anheuser & Fehrs – Marcobrunner Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1921 is an extremely rare historical gem from the Rheingau. It is a Riesling bearing the highest quality classification, ‘Trockenbeerenauslese’ (TBA), from the famous Marcobrunn vineyardin Erbach.

The wine is offeredby the retailer Jahrhundertweine.de:

• Price: €5,900.00 (or €7,866.67 per litre)

• Bottle size: 0.75 litres

2. Product details

3. Historical background – The Anheuser & Fehrs winery

The firm Anheuser & Fehrs was foundedin 1869 by August Anheuser together with Adolf Fehrs as a wine export company. The company was based in Bad Kreuznach and played a significant role in establishing and expanding German wine exports, particularly to the USA.

After the Second World War , August Egon Anheuser re-established the company ‘Weinkellerei Anheuser & Fehrs’ to revitalise the wine trade and, above all, wine exports. He was a founding member of the German Winegrowers’ Association and the Association of German Wine Exporters, and provided key impetus for the reconstruction of the German wine industry. The company was later run as a ‘Staatsweingut’ (state-owned winery) and has since ceased to exist as Anheuser & Fehrs GmbH & Co. KG.

4. The Marcobrunn vineyard

The Marcobrunnvineyard is one of the most famous and oldest vineyards in the Rheingau:

• Origin of the name : The name is derived from the Middle High German word ‘marka’ (border) and refers to a well on the boundary between Erbach and Hattenheim.

• Size & location: The 6. 7-hectare south-facing vineyard is situated on the Strahlenberg between Hattenheim and Erbach, with a gradient of approximately 5°.

• Soil: Deep, calcareous and clayey marl soils.

• Historical significance: As early as 1390, the wine produced here (vini crementi in Marckinborn) was traded as a wine of exceptional quality. Marcobrunn was the first vineyard site in the Rheingau to be used on labels to designate the wine – this first occurred in1726.

• Reputation: A record dating from 1576 shows that Duke Erich of Brunswick and Lüneburg expressly ordered ‘two bottles of Marcobrunn’ – and, should this not be available, a wine of equivalent quality.

5. Classification of the 1921 vintage

The 1921vintage ranks among the legendary vintages of the 20th century and is of outstanding significance for German noble sweet wines :

• The climatic conditions of 1921 enabled the production of Trockenbeerenauslese wines of a quality that remains unrivalled to this day.

• At an auction in 2018, a 1921 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese fetched almost 15,000 euros.

• Eberbach Abbeyalso auctioned off 1921 Trockenbeerenauslesen.

The fact that this wine is still being offered, after more than 100 years, with a liquid level of 1 cm (practically up to the cork) and a very well-preserved label and capsule, speaks to its excellent storage conditions over more than a century.

6. Taste profile

Although there are no current tasting notes available for the specific 1921 vintage, the typical profile of a Marcobrunner Riesling Trockenbeerenauslesecan be described as follows:

• Colour: Deep gold to mahogany brown

• Nose: Complex and inviting with notes of ripe fruit, honey, spices, raisins, sultanas, fruit cake, caramel and toffee

• Palate: Great concentration, elegant sweetness and the classic freshness that has made Riesling from the Marcobrunner vineyard famous; very sweet and unctuous (melt-in-the-mouth) in texture

• Finish: Long and complex

In a Rieslingover 100 years old, one can very likely expectpronounced ageing aromas such as petrol, honey, dried fruit and a spicy complexity that overshadow the original fruit profile.

7. Conclusion

The Anheuser & Fehrs – Marcobrunner Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1921 is an exceptionally rare historic Riesling from one of the Rheingau’s most famous vineyards. At over 100 years old , in excellent condition and hailing from the legendary 1921 vintage, it is a significant collector’s item and a testament to German wine culture.

The combination of the renowned wine export company Anheuser & Fehrs, the historic Marcobrunner vineyard and the 1921 vintage makes this wine a rarity of inestimable value – less as a wine to be enjoyed, and more as a historical document and a coveted item for specialist collectors and auction houses. The bottle available at Jahrhundertweine.de (price: €5,900.00) bears witness to a wine-making era that has almost vanished.