Hyacinth, lime, honey, and white peach emanate from the glass of 2007 Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Toni Bodenstein. One sip will convince you that this sappy wine of enveloping richness could only come from an exceptional site. Furthermore, your powers of imagination would have to be dead, I suspect, not to start babbling about rocks and stones, because they seem to pave the bed on which this torrent of fruits and flowers flows. Suggestions of tart blueberry skin and pungent lime zest enliven a long, rich, buoyant finish. This harbors huge phenolic intensity yet is almost soothing in its opulence; is dense, yet refreshing. Follow it wherever it leads, for at least the next 8-10 years. This was one of our most expensive and laborious harvests ever, says Toni Bodenstein, adding that if the mere two bottlings he does of Federspiel had not this year represented a full 50% of his production, the attention and selectivity necessary for the quality of all the other wines would not have been possible. Bodenstein notes that he didn’t risk long skin contact this year, as he did not want to risk losing tartaric acidity to precipitation.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

While it is obviously deliciously rich, this wine also has a finely wrought, precious porcelain character, a delicacy that gives it a wonderful lift. The white fruits are just spiced, with an herbal element, finishing with a soft lilt. Imported by Vin Divino. ——R.V.(10/1/2009)—— 94