Alkaline and cooling herbal notes in the nose of Ostertag’s 2008 Pinot Gris Zellberg are joined by toasted nuts, carob, and coffee on a firm palate whose low-toned personality carries over in to a finish of impressive grip, capped by suggestions of crushed stone. This is, to be sure, a relatively austere expression of its grape, but ought to be well worth working with at table over close to if not longer than the next decade. Andre Ostertag picked most of his 2008s in the second week of October – relatively early for that vintage – and only 8-10 days behind the period during which the bulk of his 2009s were brought in. “The central problem with 2009,” observes Ostertag, “was to achieve balanced dryness in the finished wines.” (He would exempt Gewurztraminer from that comment, because he always finishes it unapologetically sweet; though here too, as my tasting notes demonstrate, something to counterbalance residual sugar was wanting.) Ostertag calls 2008 “a classic vintage, in the manner of the 1980s (decade),” and on reflection came up with the vintage analogy that had most struck me, namely to 1988.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524