A 2004 Scharzhofberger Riesling Eiswein smells of peach and apricot preserves, distilled apricot, peach kernel, and lemon zest. It veritably scours the palate with lemon juice, distilled pit fruits and fruit preserves and left me swallowing reflexively in astonishment. Approaching a second sip more cautiously, I began to cozy up to the persistently refreshing and mouth-watering lemon and lime citrus and rich jam character. Any way you approach it though, this is hyper-concentrated wine that in its youthful vigor would take most tasters to the mat. That it is also great wine, I have not much doubt, and given the number of famous and considerably less rare or potentially long lived wines that sell for $250 or more, I’m not even sure this should be considered a complete extravagance.Importer: P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424.

Sugary quinine aromas are found in the nose of the 2002 Riesling Eiswein Schazhofberger. Light to medium bodied, tangy, and sweet, it reveals candied limes in its personality. This wine lacks the depth, concentration, harmony between acidity and residual sugar, as well as the intensity that are found in the finest German Eisweins. Importer: Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424