1998 TBA #3 Scheurebe ZDS

The amber-colored 1998 Trockenbeerenauslese No. 3 Scheurebe Zwischen den Seen displays a beautifully matured and complex bouquet with malty, toasted and stewed apricot aromas intertwined with nougat, black tea and iodine notes. Round and filigreed on the palate, this is a very elegant and saline TBA with lots of salt and vitality on the intense, noble and bitter finish that displays caramel, mocha, nougat and apricot notes. It is very long, vital and intense but never heavy or overly sweet due to the spicy character of this beauty that was still made by the legendary Alois Kracher. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork.

The gold-colored 1998 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen Number 12 has a chemical-scented nose that also displays white pepper and graham cracker aromas. Medium to full-bodied and lush, this wine offers copious layers of jellied yellow fruits in its fat, plump, yet wonderfully fresh personality. As its nose sheds its chemical notes with air, this wine offers a compote like character that reveals caramel and butterscotch flavors. Readers who wish to drink this wine while it displays fruit should consume it over the next 5-8 years. Those that prefer aged, dark colored, heavily botrytised wines dominated by burnt sugar flavors can drink it between 2007 and 2030+. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700.

Intensely nutty, smoky, sweetly herbal aromas, along with peach preserve, honey and raw botrytis scents. Blackcurrant enters the medley in the mouth, where lively citrus flavors leaven the thick, creamy texture. Elusive nut oil and musk fade in and out on the palate. For all the intensity of botrytis character this wine displays up front, the finish is a marvel of clarity, with pure peach and blackcurrant and mouthwateringly luscious citrus elements. The breathtaking complexity of this TBA had me thinking it was a blend. It is an apotheosis of scheurebe. "This has to be my riesling," says Kracher, "since it too warm here for me to grow riesling."