Paul Anheuser, Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl, Riesling TBA

You may remember us reminiscing about our visit to Anheuser’s cellar earlier in the year, where we uncorked an impressive lineup of perfectly stored wines from their cold, subterranean maze. One, two, three, four decades we went back, each wine more mesmerizing than the last. And after a dizzying amount of time exploring and tasting a multitude of dusty, cobwebbed bottles, we began trekking back to the surface, content as can be. On the way up, I asked Paul to list one of his favorite wines over the past several decades, and he came to a halt and gave a knowing grin.We veered off a ways and, after making several calculations, he sunk his hand into an earthy nook and emerged with a half bottle—my eyes lit up. Could it be a coveted ‘TBA’ that so few ever experience? He revealed the label: 2011 Trockenbeerenauslese from the “Krötenpfuhl” vineyard in the village of Kreuznach. He exclaimed that this singular bottling was one of the greatest he’s ever produced. For those who have a soft spot