The 2005 Pinot Gris K (“K” merely standing for the family name, although a Sylvaner from the Zinnkoepfle – which I unfortunately did not taste – is labeled “Z”) is another Kubler wine uncompromisingly dry (at three grams residual sugar), truly ripe in flavor, and yet moderate (at 13.8%) in alcohol. Peach and quince preserves with overtones of litchi and wood smoke in the nose lead to a rich yet pungently mineral as well as smoky palate, and a satisfyingly saline and smoky length. After earning his oenology degree from Bordeaux, and a stage at Cloudy Bay, young Philippe Kluber – whom I did not have occasion to visit – took over at his family’s domaine beginning with the 2004 vintage. Based on the several samples that reached me while in Alsace from his second harvest, this is a vigneron to watch.Importer: Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717