The 2006 Gruner Veltliner Lamm – still in tank last summer, when I last tasted it – smells of resin, incense, brown spices, rhubarb preserves, and walnuts. Creamy, glycerin rich, and subtly suggestive of sweetness, it still preserves clarity and permits a glimpse of fascinating, shimmering mineral character that will shine even more brightly with a few years of bottle age. Enveloping richness, alluring spice, and elusive minerality are allied in the finish with low-toned coffee-mocha and tobacco shadings. Brundlmayer has recently released a trio of nobly sweet Gruner Veltliner from the 2004 vintage, and while I have not always been completely convinced by his approach to this genre – often perceiving extraneous wood and caramel – these are impressive wines by any measure.In 2006, Willi Brundlmayer really displayed mastery of his sites. While their fruits all ripened to high potential alcohol such as we have become used to in most vintages at this estate, this was by and large without detrimental effects, and the wines display clarity and refinement without heat or bitterness.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300