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Paul Anheuser, Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl, Riesling Auslese

Nahe, Germany 1989
$42.00
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Paul Anheuser, Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl, Riesling Auslese

Paul Anheuser’s dizzying library of wine antiques has proven to be one of our most rewarding discoveries to date, and each time we’ve showcased a cellar-direct “Krötenpfuhl” offer—from a 2011 TBA to a 1971 Auslese—our inventory was zeroed out in a matter of minutes. Today’s offer stands to achieve that same breakneck pace. Imagine this: The Berlin Wall fell while today’s singular wine was being raised in the subterranean wine museum that is Paul Anheuser’s cellar.
This dazzling ‘89 Riesling Auslese couldn’t have come at a better time, either. In the face of countless anticipatory emails, it’s been nine months since we’ve last had the opportunity to offer one of these ancient cellar-release gems, and our small shipment arrived just one week before the new (and wildly nonsensical) tariffs hit. Meaning, you can still secure this 30-year-old gem—from a tiny, dynastic, 14-generation family of vine growers—for an impossibly low price. When this was bottled back in 1990, the residual sugar was evident, but now at nearly three decades old, the sweetness has evolved into a refreshingly savory explosion of delicately ripe fruit and crystalline minerality. Each flawlessly aged bottle we taste from Anheuser continues to set an even higher standard for what we already consider one of the planet’s greatest wine pleasures: mature Riesling. Quantities are extremely limited and nobody else in America has access to this—enjoy. 
The Anheusers are steeped in wine history, tracing their ancestry in the village of Bad Kreuznach to the 1600s. They’ve been here so long, they’re considered to be the very first in the entire Nahe region to plant vineyards solely to Riesling. But despite their extensive track record, their operation remains a humble one and is still entirely staffed by family. They have also built a fine reputation in the Nahe for stockpiling vintages in their cellar, as today’s stunningly old offer so clearly illustrates. Paul Anheuser’s Kreuznacher vines have been in his family’s possession for many generations and today’s single vineyard, “Krötenpfuhl,” is where they produce top-quality sweet wines like auslese, beerenauslese, and the fabled trockenbeerenauslese (TBA).

The Krötenpfuhl vineyard, classified as a Grosse Lage (equivalent to a Grand Cru), has been called by the same name for nearly 190 years and is among the Nahe’s most classic sites. It faces south with a moderate slope and gravelly loam soils that extend to the Nahe River just a short walk below. The Anheuser family sustainably tend to their hillside vines and meticulously handpick their crop. In their winery, grapes undergo a cool, long fermentation in their vaulted cellars and are subsequently aged in large oak casks. After bottling, they were sent to rest in their deep cellar for 29 undisturbed years. 

In the glass, Anheuser’s 1989 Auslese reveals a deep yellow core with hints of silver moving out to a watery rim. On the palate, it’s a medium-bodied, light-on-its-feet delight that exudes layers of refreshingly ripe fruit and mature Riesling minerality. Thanks to nearly 30 years of aging and still-lively acidity, only a kiss of savory sweetness is evident on the finish. Other than that, this is a texturally dry, explosively flavorful wine full of honeysuckle, orange oil, citrus blossoms, lemon curd, apricot, yellow peach, mango, button mushroom, petrol, and crushed river rocks. When enjoying, do so around 50-55 degrees in all-purpose white stems and be sure to have your absolute favorite wine friends over—this is a special bottle that is sure to command their attention and respect. I also recommend stowing one or two away and revisiting them over the next decade and beyond. Cheers!
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Country
Germany
Region
Nahe
Sub-Region
GermanyVillage of Kreuznach / Krötenpfuhl Vineyard
Soil
Gravelly Loam & Loess
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Riesling 100%
Alcohol
9.0
OAK
Large, Old Casks
TEMP.
55
Glassware
All-Purpose White / Riesling
Drinking
Now-2040
Pairing
Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps

Germany

Western Germany

Pfalz

The Pfalz is Germany’s second-largest wine region (behind Rheinhessen, which it borders to the south). The vineyards are situated between the thickly forested Haardt Mountains and the western bank of the Rhine River, with soils that are rich in loam mixed with sandstone, loess (wind-blown silt), and chalky clay.

Western Germany

Rheinhessen

he Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest-production wine zone and, in comparison to some of the dramatic valleys further north, is a more open landscape of gently rolling hills.

Western Germany

Saar

The Saar River is a tributary of the Mosel (and in-cluded in the broader “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer”) PDO designation with vineyards perched on steep slopes of blue Devonian slate. The rocky soils and cool temperatures of these northerly valleys produce Germany’s most chiseled, high-acid  styles of Riesling.

Southwestern Germany

Baden

Baden, Germany’s southernmost wine region, has a long history with the “Pinot” family. The region’s vineyards were planted by the same Cistercian Monks who established Pinot Noir in Burgundy. Bordered by the Rhine River and the Black Forest, Baden has diverse soils—everything from loess (silt) to volcanic tuff to limestone, the most prized Pinot Noir soil of all.

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