Riesling Auslese & Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

The story of German noble rot wines traces back to a famous accident at Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau in 1775. The courier responsible for delivering grape samples to Fulda to obtain the Prince-Abbot's harvest permission was delayed, and by the time he returned the grapes had been affected by Botrytis cinerea. The resulting wine proved delicious, and the practice of intentional late harvesting followed. Schloss Johannisberg made the first documented Auslese in 1787 and the first Eiswein in 1858. The full six-level Prädikat hierarchy, including Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein, was formally codified by the 1971 German Wine Law, which established Oechsle-based must weight thresholds that remain in force today, alongside the newer 2021 wine law that introduced a parallel terroir-based classification.

• 1775 courier delay at Schloss Johannisberg initiated intentional late picking and noble rot appreciation; the first Auslese followed in 1787
• The 1971 German Wine Law codified the Prädikat system, setting legally binding minimum must weight thresholds for each category
• The term Auslese means 'selected harvest,' referring to hand-sorting of overripe and botrytized bunches; TBA means 'dry berry selection,' referring to individually selected, raisined berries
• A 2021 German Wine Law introduced a new terroir-based classification running in parallel; Prädikat categories remain valid and unchanged under the new system

Riesling's naturally high acidity and aromatic precision make it the ideal variety for noble rot expression, and the grape thrives in cool-climate regions where Botrytis cinerea develops slowly in autumn, concentrating sugars without destroying freshness. The Mosel Valley, with its blue and grey slate soils, extreme south-facing gradients, and river-influenced morning fog patterns, is Germany's most celebrated source of Auslese and TBA. The Saar tributary, home to Egon Müller's Scharzhofberg, benefits from naturally high acidity that gives its sweet wines exceptional tension and longevity. The Rheingau, where the Rhine flows east-west, produces TBA of great complexity; Weingut Robert Weil's Kiedrich Gräfenberg, a steep southwest-facing slope with stony phyllite soils, has produced a TBA in every vintage since 1989. The Pfalz tends toward richer, fuller-bodied styles due to its warmer, sandstone-influenced terroir.

• Mosel and Saar produce Germany's most mineral-driven Auslese and TBA; weathered slate soils and steep sites create the signature combination of concentration and electric acidity
• Scharzhofberg in Wiltingen on the Saar is dominated by highly weathered grey and reddish slate with a rock proportion of around 70 percent, contributing to the extraordinary finesse of Egon Müller's wines
• Kiedrich Gräfenberg in the Rheingau is a steep, southwest-facing site with fragmented phyllite soils; it has yielded TBA every single year since the 1989 vintage
• Morning fog followed by afternoon sun creates the alternating humidity and dryness that allows botrytis to develop beneficially rather than as destructive grey rot

Auslese and TBA production demands extraordinary patience and risk tolerance. Winemakers must leave grapes on the vine well beyond normal harvest, facing the dangers of autumn rain, frost, and potential grey rot. For TBA, pickers carry two baskets, one for healthy grapes and one for heavily botrytized berries, selecting only the most shrivelled, raisined fruit over multiple vineyard passes. The juice yield from TBA grapes is tiny; at Egon Müller, approximately 15 litres of juice can be coaxed from each 700-kilogram basket of botrytized grapes. Fermentation is extraordinarily slow due to the extreme sugar concentration, and may continue for months or even years. The 1976 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger TBA fermented so slowly it could not be bottled until 1981. No malolactic fermentation takes place, preserving the acidity that is essential for balance and longevity. Wines are aged in neutral vessels, typically stainless steel tanks or old oak casks, to protect varietal aromatics.

• TBA pickers use two baskets, separating heavily botrytized, raisined berries from healthier fruit across multiple passes through the vineyard
• Fermentation proceeds extremely slowly at low temperatures due to the high sugar concentration; the 1976 Egon Müller TBA took until 1981 to ferment sufficiently for bottling
• Juice yields from TBA grapes are microscopic; around 15 litres can be extracted from a 700-kilogram basket of botrytized fruit at Egon Müller
• No malolactic fermentation is used; preserving natural acidity is critical to balancing the extreme residual sugar and ensuring multi-decade aging potential

Auslese typically displays honeyed stone fruit, particularly apricot and peach, alongside floral notes of acacia and orange blossom, underpinned by the mineral precision of the growing site. TBA intensifies every dimension: candied citrus peel, dried apricot, honeycomb, marmalade, and a complex botrytis character emerge, supported by acidity that remains vivid despite the extraordinary sugar concentration. The hallmark of great German sweet Riesling is this paradoxical freshness, where the wine tastes alive and precise rather than heavy or cloying. With bottle age, a characteristic petrol or kerosene note develops from TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene), a terpene compound formed as the wine matures, adding complexity rather than diminishing appeal. Great Auslese and TBA feel silken and refined on the palate, with a finish that can linger for minutes.

• Auslese: honeyed stone fruit, apricot, peach, acacia flowers, and mineral precision from the growing site; bright acidity prevents any sense of heaviness
• TBA: candied citrus peel, dried apricot, honeycomb, marmalade, and complex botrytis aromatics; residual sugar is extreme yet acidity creates paradoxical freshness
• Both styles develop a characteristic petrol or kerosene note with bottle age, derived from the terpene compound TDN; this is a hallmark of maturity in Riesling
• Great examples feel refined and silken rather than unctuous; the electric acidity of Mosel and Saar wines provides the most dramatic sugar-acid tension

Egon Müller's Scharzhofberger TBA, produced in Wiltingen on the Saar from an estate acquired by the Müller family's ancestors in 1797, is considered Germany's most iconic sweet wine. The 2003 vintage sold for 12,000 euros per bottle at the 2015 VDP Grosser Ring auction, setting a record for a newly released wine. Production averages around 150 bottles per year. J.J. Prüm, founded in 1911 in Wehlen, produces Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese and TBA from one of the Mosel's most celebrated slate vineyards; the 1959, 1971, 1976, 1990, and 2005 vintages are considered estate highlights. In the Rheingau, Weingut Robert Weil, founded in 1875 and with Suntory as majority shareholder since 1988, has cultivated the Kiedrich Gräfenberg vineyard into one of Germany's most consistent sources of TBA. Schloss Johannisberg, operating under the Oetker family since 1942, produces its Goldlack TBA only in outstanding years.

• Egon Müller Scharzhofberger TBA: produced in tiny quantities averaging around 150 bottles annually; the 2003 set a world auction record at 12,000 euros per bottle in 2015
• J.J. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese and TBA: slate-driven precision and floral intensity; landmark vintages include 1959, 1976, 1990, and 2005
• Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg TBA: produced every year since 1989 from the Rheingau's premier VDP Grosse Lage site; the 2003 achieved 316 degrees Oechsle and sold for 5,117 euros per bottle
• Schloss Johannisberg Goldlack TBA: produced only in exceptional vintages from the world's first exclusively Riesling-planted estate, established as a monoculture in 1720

Auslese typically reaches an early peak of honeyed stone fruit at ten to fifteen years, but the best examples continue evolving for thirty years or more as apricot transforms to apricot leather and floral notes gain depth. TBA is among the world's longest-lived wines; the combination of extreme residual sugar, high acidity, low alcohol, and botrytis-derived compounds creates conditions for multi-generational cellaring. The 1976 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger TBA was described in 2000 by Michael Broadbent as displaying rich concentration and good length, well over two decades after harvest. J.J. Prüm wines from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are documented as still being in excellent condition when accessed. Bottles should be stored horizontally in darkness at eight to twelve degrees Celsius, and TBA is best served at a cool ten to twelve degrees in small amounts due to its intensity.

• Auslese: approachable at ten to fifteen years; premium examples can evolve for thirty or more years, developing apricot leather and candied citrus complexity
• TBA: minimum twenty years recommended before assessing peak; examples from top producers such as Egon Müller and J.J. Prüm are documented as still vital after fifty or more years
• J.J. Prüm wines from the 1930s through the 1950s are recorded as still being in excellent condition, underlining the extraordinary longevity of Mosel TBA
• Store horizontally at eight to twelve degrees Celsius in darkness; serve at ten to twelve degrees in small pours to fully appreciate the wine's concentration and aromatic complexity