A striking, racing wintergreen note I have never before noticed with this variety graces the nose of the Eymaels’ 2008 Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Beerenauslese, one of two nobly sweet wines of its grape harvested here on November 18. Honeydew melon liqueur, grapefruit marmalade, peach preserves, banana, sage, peppermint, and wintergreen inform a rich, subtly creamy, yet refreshing palate that displays 2008's distinctive talent for being both soothing and invigorating. There is levity, refreshment, and elegance that helps render this irresistible sip after sip, just as it’s apt to remain for at least 25 years. You’d never guess that 80% of the fruit was shriveled from botrytis – unless, of course, you’re familiar with how close to miraculous the truly noble effects of that fungus can be. It threatened to become another 2006, said Jan Eymael of the mid-September, 2008 rain, but even in the warmest parts of the Pfalz the weather stayed relatively cool, and he did not pick the first Rieslings until September 30, then continuing off and on for three weeks. The later it got, the better the grapes became, comments Eymael. Another month on the vine allowed for the November 18 picking of two magnificent nobly sweet Scheureben.Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 596-9463

Resinous herbal concentrate features prominently on the nose and palate of the Eymaels’ 2007 Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Beerenauslese, along with melon, grapefruit, and a maple syrup like combination of caramel and herbal liqueur. Noticeable thicker in texture and richer than its Auslese counterpart – if less fun to drink – and not overwhelmingly sweet despite its 180 grams of residual sugar, this will probably slim down and become more interesting over the 15-20 years (minimum) one could reasonably anticipate holding some bottles. In addition to those distinctive features of Jan Eymael’s 2007 collection mentioned in my individual tasting notes, he points out that as a group they are youthfully a bit reductive and tight, for which reason he presented to me bottles (save for those of the nobly sweet wines) that had first been given two hours in the refrigerator with a couple of inches of their contents removed.Imported by Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA 800 596 9463

The Pfeffingen 2006 Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Beerenauslese smells of mint candy, pink grapefruit, and honey. Contrasting candied herbal, caramel, and brightly citric lemon and grapefruit sides offer a somewhat odd juxtaposition on the palate, which is marked by an almost buttery texture. This is an impressively rich Scheurebe that should keep for up to two decades, but for now at least, it misses the clarity, refreshment, or evocative finishing character of the Spatlese and Auslese. Pfeffingen suffered 40% losses vis a vis normal, even though most of their crop had already been picked when the worst rains arrived on October 3rd. Scheurebe was so resistant to the effects of rain, Jan Eymael reports, that they did not even begin picking it until all of the Riesling was finished, and at that point the fruit was still healthy. But not for long: a week later, says Eymael, Beerenauslese could be picked straight from the vine! To compensate for the high acidity in fruit harvested this early, Eymael gave many of his wines significant skin contact in the press, and he was also happy to the extent that the young wines dropped tartrates. But above all, the high extract inherent in this well-watered vintage serves to buffer acidity. The tart, brisk personality of some of this year’s wines thus comes as something of a shock relative to the vintage norm, but not considering the early harvest at this address.Imported by Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA 800 596 9463.

Loads of botrytis can be detected in the aromas of the 2002 Scheurebe Beerenauslese Ungsteiner Herrenberg. This oily-textured, fat, dense, and rich wine slathers the palate with noble-rot laced exotic fruits and syrupy stones. This wine will merit an outstanding score if it develops more complexity with cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020. Importer: A Rudi Wiest Selection, Cellar International, Inc., Carlsbad, CA; tel. (760) 753-4244