The Loewen 2008 Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett – harvested at the same time but from different parcels than the feinherb version – needs to shed a bit of yeasty and cheesy fermentative stink to really reveal itself. It suggests persimmon and pumpkin and exhibits lemony brightness like its close sibling, but the 50 (!) grams of residual sugar here help assuage the sharpness even if there is a somewhat sweet-sour tension here in the final analysis. Really, what this wine may need most is time, and it would be well worth revisiting already this year. Karl-Josef Loewen associates the measurably high dry extracts of his 2008s with their ability to buffer high acids but also to convey mineral characteristics. He was pleased to point out that not one of his dry wines reached 12% alcohol this vintage, and only partly on account of that vintage itself. Especially with his oldest vines, pruning for multiple short canes and de-leafing at critical junctures are among the techniques being employed to diminish the accretion of sugar and maximize flavor. Small berries and clusters are also critical, says Loewen, who does not believe in green harvesting. “The trick,” he opines, “is to make little wine from many bunches, rather than little wine from few bunches.”Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Spicy, evoking cinnamon and allspice aromas backed by apple and lime on the palate. It's tight and racy, with a long, apple-infused finish. Best from 2011 through 2019.??–BS??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add