Kubler’s 2008 Pinot Blanc K – which this vintage, as in 2009, is pure Auxerrois – displays invigorating salinity and herbal pungency that supply some counterpoint to its low-acid, soft, glycerin-rich, and in part for those reasons faintly sweet pit fruit-dominated palate. Plan to drink this over the next 6-9 months. (The sweetness was a bit awkward in the high-toned 2009 rendition, as was also the case with Kubler’s 2009 Kintet blend.) Philippe Kubler is among the few Alsace growers I met to have elected – quite reasonably in my opinion – to market some of his 2009s ahead of (and others concurrent with) the corresponding 2008s. He notes that “the styles are dramatically different, and the 2008s deserve a year or longer in the bottle whereas the 2009s are ready to drink.” That said, I suspect that save for the V.T.s among them, Kubler’s 2008s aren’t really built for long aging.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283