. Ostertag’s 2005 Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes smells subtly smoky and chalky, but as usual with this grape, the action is on the palate, where a doughy, waxy, new potato-like impression unites with juicy, apply fruit, accented by diverse herbal and mineral shadings. No wonder Ostertag remains emotionally committed to Sylvaner, even though he isn’t sure he is actually making any money given his yields. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to ratchet up the price, since he has so many fans the wine is instantly sold out, and he could not find even a single bottle of the 2004 for me to taste. Andre Ostertag continues to render some of the most distinctively delicious and thought-provoking wines in Alsace. He now has 120 parcels among his 35 acres, and no grower of my acquaintance gives more thought to aesthetic and stylistic considerations when it comes to vinifying and assembling his many lots.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524