1997 Paul Anheuser, "Kreuznacher Kahlenberg", Riesling Auslese Trocken

The Anheuser family has been growing grapes in Bad Kreuznach since 1627. Today, brothers Rudolf and Paul represent the 14th generation, working these incredibly steep slopes by hand. Here's what makes this bottle extraordinary: After aging for nearly 28 years in the Anheuser's historic cellars, the family reconditioned and re-corked this wine at the winery. It has never left their custody, offering cellar-direct provenance at its most pristine. The 1997 was a one-shot deal. The Anheusers never made another dry Auslese from Kahlenberg—an Erste Lage (First Growth) vineyard facing due south above Bad Kreuznach. The site's slate and quartzite soils produce Rieslings of piercing minerality. Even Dönnhoff, the Nahe's most celebrated producer, doesn't make a Kahlenberg Auslese. Fun fact: Long ago, one Anheuser brother went to St. Louis and started brewing beer. Did pretty well for himself. This branch of the family stayed in Germany, cultivating vineyards that include two monopoles: Pfingstwe