This 2006 Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett suggests peach, apple, lemon, and brown spices. Slightly more delicate than its feinherb counterpart, this has a creamier texture and a finish more suggestive of subtle floral perfume than minerals. A shroud of fermentative, reductive aromas slightly hides this from view, which Loewen insists is not only unproblematic but actually a positive sign about how it will evolve. Time will tell. But one can be quite sure that the nose will clear and that this will prove versatile for a decade or more. The Mosel’s greatest champion of once-great but recently-neglected sites and one of German viticulture’s most tireless outside-the-box thinkers in the search for quality, Karl-Josef Loewen took extra efforts in 2006 including adding supplemental pickers who helped him harvest in only ten days. He did not begin until October 8, believing that “before then, the ripeness just wasn’t there.” Loewen is notoriously fearless when it comes to harvesting botrytis, but he tended toward more whole-cluster pressing than usual to help guard against impure elements of rot. In an exciting development, beginning this year, Loewen is taking the lead with Carl Schmitt-Wagner in farming the latter’s ancient Riesling in Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg.Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300