From the signature Cru of Beblenheim, Bott’s 2004 Pinot Gris Sonnenglanz displays honeyed botrytis character and spiced peach preserves in the nose and on the palate, a creamy rich texture, and a finish of undeniably imposing richness but somewhat too-dominant sweetness. He seems to think the Furstentum has more potential – which may well be – but I would want to give this Sonnenglanz a few years to shed some of its sweetness and in the hope that a more distinctive personality emerges. Young Jean-Christophe Bott is passionate about quality and unafraid to make sacrifices on its behalf. He has adopted a biodynamic regimen in the vineyards and is now holding most of his wines 6-24 months in bottle before release. Clarity and cleanliness run through all of these, and it is encouraging to taste so many Riesling that are uncompromisingly dry (although occasionally bitterness or alcohol intrude). Bott feels capable of encouraging dryness and balance in various ways in the vineyard and the cellar without ever intervening in or attempting to re-start sluggish fermentations. By no means all of the wines I tasted displayed strong personalities, but many of them gave reason to believe – as does Bott’s articulate advocacy – that this will be one of the more talked-about Alsace domains of the coming decade. Given the challenges that so many of his fellow-growers recorded with this variety in 2004, his success in bringing Gewurztraminer to subtly-ennobled ripeness in that vintage – while taking advantage of higher than usual acidities – is especially noteworthy.Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565