Kubler’s foudre-raised 2009 Pinot Gris K displays sweetly-esterous high toned aromas and a lush, polished palate of brown spice-tinged nut oils and ripe pear, falling away just a bit in the finish. The 14.3% alcohol fortunately supplies volume and gloss but no heat or roughness. Given how forward and soft this is – not to mention its abundance of volatile elements – plan on enjoying it over the next couple of years. 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