Germany Collection

Rieslings from the Mosel Valley in Germany have been some of the most prestigious and revered wines in the world. Today they are a favorite among sommeliers and collectors alike. With increasing attention from critics, and global access to the wines via the internet, demand has grown immensely in recent years. From 2017 to 2020, the number of individual wines listed on LivEx increased by 662%. The wines from the Mosel Valley now make up 19% of the "Rest of World" wines (wines not produced in France or Italy) traded by value on Liv-Ex, up from only 2% in 2019. A driving force behind this increase in trade are the wines of Egon Müller. According to Liv-Ex, since the early 2000s, rieslings "have made up 98% of Germany's share by value on the secondary market. No other region's collectible market is so reliant on white wine, or on a single grape variety." It is important to note that while all of these wines are made from the same varietal, rieslings in the region are made in 5 distinct styles based on when the grapes are picked. These styles range from Kabinett wines made from grapes picked in the first pass through the vineyard to Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the latest picking session of the harvest season. The later the harvesting, the lower the quantity of grapes available. This means that very little TBA wine is produced each year. Indeed, there are some vintages where no TBA is produced due to unfavorable conditions. These factors contribute to making the wines amongst the rarest and most sought after. With so many wines made from the same grape in similar styles in the Mosel Valley, you may wonder why Egon Müller's wines can demand prices that dwarf others in the region. The first reason, as in Burgundy, is the vineyard. With vines planted since Roman times, the Scharzhofberger vineyard is a “Grosse Lage”, the equivalent to a Grand Cru in Burgundy. South-facing, with soils rich in red and grey slate, this vineyard is considered a peer of Montrachet as one of the top white wine vineyards in the world. The Müller family acquired the already-famous Scharzhofberger property in 1797 after the French Revolution forced the church to sell the property (this area was under French control at the time). Over the past 225 years, the Müller family has produced internationally renowned wines, winning awards at the World's Fair in London in 1862, Chicago in 1893, Paris in 1900, and the momentum only grew into the 20th century. With increased attention from James Suckling and Wine Advocate, awareness of German wines and their collectibility continues to grow globally. Increased awareness has driven growing demand in the United States, which accounted for 70% of German wine sales as of July 2021, up from 10 - 20% in 2019. As new markets and new collectors are introduced to German collectible wines, Egon Müller continues to be the go-to wine for collectors and investors alike.