In its relative dryness as well as its aromas of bacon fat, rose petal, and brown spices, and its oily richness the 2005 Gewurztraminer Herrenweg comes closer to “classic” style than any other from Barmes that I tasted on this occasion. While the price for such ripeness and relatively low residual sugar is 14.5% alcohol, there is little heat and no bitterness in the smoky, spicy finish displayed here, on the contrary the fullness is welcome. The affable Francois Barmes vocally advocates biodynamic viticulture and earlier harvesting to achieve balanced wines of juicy fruit and digestabilite. That said, more than a few of those I tasted were big-bodied to say the least, and certain of them could not handle their alcohol.Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also, a Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29.