A 2008 Scheurebe Spatlese represents Gies-Duppel’s sole non-trocken wine of the vintage. Lemon, gooseberry, and sage in a pungent aromatic display lead to an almost disconcertingly incongruous softness on the palate, which – since accompanied by high residual sugar – makes for an impression of melon liqueur lacked with herbal essences. This represents the last-picked grapes of the harvest, with much of the crop having been left behind. It fermented very slowly and Gies finally decided to give it a mercy killing. There is a modicum of juicy refreshment and a vintage-typical sense of lift in the finish, even though the primary impression is a bit bon-bon like. I would drink this young if you want a quite sweet Scheurebe for sipping or drinking with fruits and cheeses.For more about Volker Gies’s promising career and estate, consult my coverage in issue 185. His 2008s – which typically received around 6 hours on their skins in the press – were bottled already in March (and indeed, several were sold out by September). Gies indicated that it rained in his part of the Sudliche Weinstrasse for the better part of a week beginning October 27, so that he was glad to have finished picking shortly before that, but as at neighboring Wehrheim, I found this collection of wines on the whole slightly austere when compared with last year’s.Importer: Tartaglione Fine Wines, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 216-3356