Le Gallais 'Egon Müller zu Scharzhof' - Wiltinger braune Kupp Riesling Auslese 2018

Le Gallais 'Egon Müller zu Scharzhof' - Wiltinger Braune Kupp Riesling Auslese 2018

Introduction

The 2018 Wiltinger Braune Kupp Riesling Auslese from Le Gallais, produced by the legendary Egon Müller zu Scharzhof winery, unites two of the Saar's defining vineyards under one label. The "Braune Kupp" is famous for its powerful, exotic Rieslings, while the Egon Müller vineyard is known for its unrivalled finesse and clarity. This wine from the exceptional, sunny 2018 vintage is considered a masterpiece of the noble sweet Riesling art and demonstrates the immense potential of the Saar.

1. The winery: Egon Müller zu Scharzhof and the "Le Gallais" heritage

The Egon Müller zu Scharzhof winery in Wiltingen on the Saar is a true institution of German viticulture. Its origins date back to 1797, when the Müllers' ancestors took over secularised vineyards that had previously belonged to the St. Marien ad Martyres monastery. Since then, the estate has been run by an Egon Müller - now in its fifth generation, after Egon Müller IV (born 1959) took over the reins from his father Egon Müller III in 1991.

The quality offensive under Egon Müller III also led to the acquisition of the "Le Gallais" vineyard in 1954, which originally belonged to the Metz family, the founding family of the Arbed steel group. With this purchase, 2.5 hectares in the single vineyards "Wiltinger Kupp" and "Wiltinger Braune Kupp" came into the possession of the Müllers. Since then, the wines from these vineyards have been marketed under their own label "Le Gallais", but vinified and matured in the same cellar as the famous Scharzhofberg wines.

2. The vineyard site: Wiltinger Braune Kupp - a sunny slate slope

The "Wiltinger Braune Kupp" vineyard is the exact opposite of the cooler, more famous Scharzhofberg. It covers four hectares at an altitude of 160 to 260 metres, faces south-southwest to south-southeast and has a slope gradient of 50 to 60%. The deep, loose weathered slate rock with a high proportion of skeleton and clayey fine soil is excellent at storing heat. This leads to higher degrees of ripeness and opulent, often exotic wines.

3. The 2018 vintage - an exceptional, sunny vintage on the Saar

The 2018 wine year on the Saar was characterised by an exceptionally long, warm and dry summer, which created perfect conditions for the production of top-quality noble sweet wines. In contrast to the cooler Scharzhofberg, the warm "Braune Kupp" benefited particularly well from this vintage. The best sites produced grapes with must weights of up to 125° Oechsle (Auslese), from which a wealth of noble sweet wines, from Auslese to TBA, were created.

4. The wine: Riesling Auslese - hand-picked with the utmost care

In the German wine system, the term "Auslese" stands for selective hand-picking of fully ripe grapes. In 2018, the winegrowers were able to select healthy, fully ripe grapes without botrytis. After the harvest, the grapes were gently pressed, then the must fermented with natural yeasts and long yeast contacts to produce a noble sweet wine with 116 grams of residual sugar per litre at 8.5% alcohol by volume.

5. Tasting notes - The quintessence of slate and exoticism

The 2018 Braune Kupp Auslese is the perfect balance between mineral elegance and lush, exotic fruit. A detailed tasting note by Stephan Reinhardt (Robert Parker/Wine Advocate) describes the wine as follows:

"The 2018 Wiltinger Braune Kupp Auslese is warm, ripe and cool on the precise nose that displays fascinating flinty notes of crushed wet stones and fresh lemon oil. The palate is lush, round, intense, salty-piquant and well-concentrated thanks to perfectly dry botrytis. The finish is complex, tight, very long and expressive in its firm, mineral character."

Other notes emphasisethe aromas of apricot, preserved apples, mandarin and candied citrus fruits. The texture is creamy ("lush") with a firm, finely athletic body structure. Despite its obvious sweetness, the wine retains an immense liveliness and race, which is carried by its long and complex minerality.

6. Reviews and drinking window - A century-old Riesling for the ages

The 2018 Le Gallais Braune Kupp Auslese has received outstanding ratings from international wine critics:

The notes reflect a wine of exceptional purity, richness and mineral race. The drinking window is estimated by experts to be extremely long - from John Gilman to 2080, from Mosel Fine Wines from 2038 to 2068. This "giant of the century" can already be drunk now on special occasions, but will only develop its full potential in a few years.

7. Current market presence and pricing

The prices for the 0.75 litre bottle vary depending on the retailer, as the following overview shows:

Prices for this rare wine range from around €185 to €230 per bottle. For comparison: A case of 6 bottles (75 cl) was traded in March 2026 for the equivalent of around GBP 795 (approx. € 930) including tax.

Conclusion and rating

The Le Gallais 'Egon Müller zu Scharzhof' Wiltinger Braune Kupp Riesling Auslese 2018 is a triumph of the noble sweet art of the Saar. It represents the quintessence of its warm terroir and proves that the "Braune Kupp" is more than just a shadow of the great Scharzhofberg. With its unique combination of exotic richness, minerality and the clarity typical of Egon Müller, this wine with an exceptional ageing potential of over 50 years will offer an unforgettable experience for every lover of great Rieslings.