我在伊贡h 慕勒酒庄的史诗级品鉴经历

文 David Allen MW 编、译 张恬熙

我最喜欢的葡萄酒是来自德国摩泽尔、萨尔州或伍瓦透产区的雷司令。如果只能被迫选一种，我会选择萨尔州产区，那里凉爽的风会减缓葡萄的成熟速度，酿出的葡萄酒很精致，味道馥郁，酸度诱人，既美味又经得起陈年。

My favorite wines are Rieslings from Germany s Mosel, Saar or Ruwer regions. If forced to select just one I would choose the Saar, where cool winds slow ripening, producing grapes with fine, intense flavors and zingy acidity - combing delicacy with longevity.

沙兹堡山坡靠近维尔廷根镇，是萨尔州产区主要的葡萄园，被归为德国列级庄之列，朝南的山坡生产着一部分德国品质最杰出、最优雅的雷司令。伊贡h 慕勒酒庄是顶级生产商，其顶级酒款在年度VDP拍卖会上常会获得最高价格，这无疑是德国最昂贵、最受追捧的葡萄酒之一。

伊贡是一个高大、苗条、优雅的男人，他的头顶圆圆的，身板很直，带着轻松的微笑并富有幽默感。几年前，我与一群侍酒师在维尔廷根拜访过他。在爬上葡萄园后，我们回到了伊贡家里。沙兹堡是一座位于山脚下的大型巴洛克式农舍。我们在花园里吃了午饭，沐浴着午后的阳光开始了品鉴。

最先品鉴的酒款是伊贡在德国以外的产区酿造的。首先是一款来自捷克共和国贝拉酒庄的干型雷司令，这是一款狂野而强烈、清爽又有个性的葡萄酒。接着是来自阿德莱德山产区坎塔酒庄的雷司令，这款酒活泼纯净，有柠檬和矿物气息，就像大多数澳大利亚的雷司令一样。这两款酒都很出色。后来我们加快了步伐，开始接连品鉴来自维尔廷根的酒款，包括不同年份的珍藏、晚收和精选级别葡萄酒。我们还品鉴了产自沙兹堡和维尔廷格博内库普（Wiltinger Braune Kupp）的葡萄酒，这些酒款都带有淡淡的柠檬味、清爽的酸度，有如刀锋般独特的酸度。沙兹堡的葡萄酒平衡、强烈，带有矿物气息，博内库普的葡萄酒则更加柔和，没有那么强烈。这些葡萄酒都有很好的平衡感，甜味干净而持久。

接下来，我们品尝了传说中的甜型葡萄酒、令人难忘的果粒精选葡萄酒以及沙兹堡冰酒，那强烈的味道、甜度和清脆的酸度简直让我舌头想要唱歌。接着是一款令人赞叹的维尔廷格博内库普贵腐果粒精选葡萄酒，那精致的蜂蜜味和甜蜜感与活泼的酸橙香气，真是完美地融合在了一起。

在我以为这场史诗般的品鉴会就要结束时，伊贡在一个阴凉处拿着个空杯子，轻松地说了句激动人心的话。他轻声微笑着问我：“我们还有哪个年份的酒没试过？”显然，这看似不经意的询问是为了给我出个难题，既要衡量我对德国葡萄酒的了解，也要衡量我的胆量！这可是一位举世闻名的酿酒师在问我：我们应该喝他酒窖中的哪款酒，虽然这个机会令人难以置信，但我也必须快速作答！也许是1921年份或者1937年份？这两款20世纪早期的葡萄酒都很不错，但这或许太贪心了！1971年份或1976年份？不，还可以更好！我试图故作平静，微微耸了耸肩，回答道：“1959年份？”

几分钟后，伊贡带着一瓶1959年份的沙兹堡晚收葡萄酒回来了。这款酒干净、清新，散发着成熟的酸橙芳香，展现着这一著名的年份酒特有的微妙蜡质和蜂蜜味道。它口感丰富而充盈，没有一点沉重感。尽管它已经在其诞生的酒窖里陈年了50多年，但状态却年轻得令人惊讶，我能够得以品尝真是个荣幸。显然，我做了个很好的选择ÿ 1959年不仅是德国的传奇年份，也是伊贡h 慕勒的诞辰年呀！

The Scharzhofberg hillside near Wiltingen, is the Saar s leading vineyard - classified Grosses Gewachs, the south-facing slope yields some of Germany s finest and most elegant Rieslings. Egon Müller is the vineyard s pre-eminent producer, his top bottlings routinely attain the highest prices at the annual VDP auction, making them indisputably Germany s most expensive and sought-after wines.

Egon is a, tall, slim, elegant man with high-domed head, an upright bearing, easy smile and great sense of humor. Several years ago, I visited him in Wiltingen with a group of Sommeliers. After climbing the vineyard, we returned to Egon s home, The Scharzhof, a substantial Baronial-style farmhouse at the foot of the hill. We lunched in the garden, then enjoyed an astounding tasting in the afternoon sun.

We started with wines Egon makes outside Germany. First a dry Riesling from Chateau Belá in the Czech Republic - a wild, intense, crisp, angular wine. Next Kanta from the Adelaide Hills - vivid, pure, limey and more mineral that most Australian Rieslings. Both were brilliant but then we stepped up a gear, trying the wines from Wiltingen - tasting consecutive vintages of Kabinett, Spätlesen, and Auslesen. We tried both Scharzhofberger wines and those from the Wiltinger Braune Kupp, where Egon makes the wines of the Le Gallais estate. All were pungently limey, with racy acidity that cut like a razor-sharp blade. The Scharzhofberger wines were poised, intense and mineral-natured, the Braune Kupp wines marginally softer and less intense. All were beautifully balanced, with clean, enduring sweetness.

We then tried the legendary sweet wines; stunning Beerenauslesen; a Scharzhofberger Eiswein whose pungent flavors, intense sweetness and crisp acidity made my mouth sing; next a sublime Wiltinger Braune Kupp Trockenbeerenauslese whose delicate honeyed flavors and great sweetness seamlessly enveloped vivid lime aromas.

At what I thought was the end of this epic tasting, relaxing in some shade, holding empty glasses, Egon said something electrifying. Quietly, and with a smile, asking me which vintage haven t we tried? The apparently casual enquiry aimed to put me on the spot, gauging both my knowledge of German vintages and my audacity! A world-renowned winemaker had asked me which wine from his cellars we should drink, an amazing opportunity, I had to think quickly! - Maybe 1921 or 1937? - both great early 20th century vintages - perhaps too ambitious! 1971 or 1976?... we could do better than that!... Trying to appear nonchalant, shrugging slightly I replied 1959?...

Minutes later Egon returned bearing a pristine 1959 Schazhofberger Spatelese. Clean, fresh and bursting with ripe lime aromas, displaying subtle waxy/honeyed flavors typical of this famously intense vintage. It was rich and mouth-filling, without being heavy. The wine was amazingly youthful, having aged in perfect conditions in the cellars that produced it over fifty years previously - it was a privilege to taste! Evidently I chose well, not only was 1959 a legendary German vintage, it was also Egon Müller s Birth year!