1971 was a great vintage for sweet Riesling wines in Germany. The Staatsweingüter produced sensational wines until the 1970s, especially in the great vintages of 1971, 1975 and 1976.

After smelling it and taking the first sip, it is clear that this can only be a great vintage from the Staatsweingüter Eltville from Kloster Eberbach. The Staatsweingüter Eltville 1971 Steinberger Riesling Eiswein-Auslese Auction Wine has an expressive and complex nose with myrrh, hazelnut, candied apricot, blossoms, some honey, a medium body and is sweet, dense, long, balanced and complex. In this era, the gradation is still indicated for ice wine, here Auslese. However, this is stacked deep, the wine has a density like a Beerenauslese. The Steinberg is perhaps the best vineyard in the Rheingau and a monopoly of the Staatsweingüter. Unfortunately, they no longer produce such sensational wines. 19.5/20 points.