Egon Muller, Riesling, Scharzhofberg, Mosel QbA 2016

These wines are produced at a range of ripeness levels, including Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese, and Auslese Goldkapsel in the best years. If conditions allow, sweet Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein are also produced. The Scharzhofberg releases are among the most sought-after of all German wines and achieve some of Germany's highest prices at auction.

A large section of 8.5 hectares (21 acres) on the grey shale slopes of the south-facing Scharzhofberg vineyard, behind the Scharzhof house and winery, forms the heart of the Egon Müller estate. This is widely held to be one of the great white wine vineyards in the world.

There are also half a dozen smaller plots totalling no more than 4ha (10 acres), mostly a little further down-river on the southwest-facing banks of the horseshoe in the Saar between Wiltingen and Kanzem. These belong to the Weingut Le Gallais in Wiltingen which was acquired by Egon III in 1954 (though half its vineyards are rented, not owned outright) and include the Kupp and Braune Kupp single vineyards. Fruit from some of the other vineyards may feature in the generic Scharzhof Riesling.

The estate in its present form dates back to 1797, when Jean-Jacques Koch acquired the Scharzhof farm from the French republic. His daughter married Felix Müller, and the estate has remained in the same family ownership ever since.