As in this year’s Cuvee Yves, the Gassmann 2007 Riesling Kappelweg leads with prominent scents of lemon and orange blossom, here allied to linden (tilleul) and bittersweet, musky suggestions of iris and paper narcissus. In the mouth this is like liquid perfume in its multi-floral complexity, near-weightlessness, and perfectly balanced sweetness. At the same time, there is a luscious and invigorating sense of diverse fresh citrus here that keeps you salivating (perhaps even panting) for the next sip. Pierre Gassmann calls the style engendered by the blue Marne chalk in this site “feminine” – it certainly strikes me as sexy – and says it explains why the wine tastes delicious whether young or 20 years old, which I can second from experience with many earlier vintages. One doesn’t expect – even in the marathon that constitutes a tasting of Rolly-Gassmann collections – to encounter more than a few dry-tasting wines, and in 2006 and 2007 that number was vanishingly small. These wines generally manage their residual sugar without obscuring vineyard-specific characteristics or fatiguing the palate, and furthermore botrytis – where present – is typically noble and pure. In 2006, though – with rampant botrytis and block-picking the order of the day rather than selection (for which there was no time) – results sometimes defied those generalizations. Echoing an opinion that I have seen borne out in recent borderline over-ripe vintages in Burgundy as well, Pierre Gassmann insists that “contrary to what the enologists advised, you needed to work with the lees just as long in 2006 as in any other vintage,” and his bottling times were, as usual, in September. As for 2007, it is the occasion for a group of the most promising young Rieslings I have tasted here since my first visit 25 years ago. There has been a significant recent increase in acreage, incidentally, thanks to the recent absorption of property from a cousin. A labeling development worth noting: the names of the appropriate village are now being appended to each single vineyard wine; however, I have continued to reference only the name of the site, as in past reports. Finally, readers must bear in mind the slow pace of Rolly-Gassmann releases, with even their non-noble 2007s expected to appear only between now and 2012.Importers include Vin de Garde Wines Ltd., Portland, OR; tel. (503) 224 2470; Esquin Imports Inc., San Anselmo, CA (415) 451 2520; and a Bryce McNamee Selection, Boutique Wines, Philadelphia, PA (914) 954 6583

Parsnip, sage, and scents of the sea grace the nose of what the Gassmanns calls their “classic” 2007 Riesling. In the mouth, abundant fresh lime, apricot, and honeydew melon offer clarity and refreshment with cooling, soothing suggestions of chalk, herbs, mint. As yet another tribute – its authors would maintain – to the efficacy of particular chalky soils, but surely also to the methods they pursue, this tastes virtually dry despite 20 grams of residual sugar. I would expect it to perform well for at least a half dozen years. One doesn’t expect – even in the marathon that constitutes a tasting of Rolly-Gassmann collections – to encounter more than a few dry-tasting wines, and in 2006 and 2007 that number was vanishingly small. These wines generally manage their residual sugar without obscuring vineyard-specific characteristics or fatiguing the palate, and furthermore botrytis – where present – is typically noble and pure. In 2006, though – with rampant botrytis and block-picking the order of the day rather than selection (for which there was no time) – results sometimes defied those generalizations. Echoing an opinion that I have seen borne out in recent borderline over-ripe vintages in Burgundy as well, Pierre Gassmann insists that “contrary to what the enologists advised, you needed to work with the lees just as long in 2006 as in any other vintage,” and his bottling times were, as usual, in September. As for 2007, it is the occasion for a group of the most promising young Rieslings I have tasted here since my first visit 25 years ago. There has been a significant recent increase in acreage, incidentally, thanks to the recent absorption of property from a cousin. A labeling development worth noting: the names of the appropriate village are now being appended to each single vineyard wine; however, I have continued to reference only the name of the site, as in past reports. Finally, readers must bear in mind the slow pace of Rolly-Gassmann releases, with even their non-noble 2007s expected to appear only between now and 2012.Importers include Vin de Garde Wines Ltd., Portland, OR; tel. (503) 224 2470; Esquin Imports Inc., San Anselmo, CA (415) 451 2520; and a Bryce McNamee Selection, Boutique Wines, Philadelphia, PA (914) 954 6583