Philippi (at least, insofar as he is still calling the shots) will put the 2004 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken R on sale in 2010. Ester-rich high notes of almond, maraschino, mirabelle, mothball, and corn mash become entangled on the palate with dark roasted chestnut, winter squash, and smoldering leaves. The multi-registered nature of this voluminous, satin-textured Riesling persists into a long finish, with just a hint of sweetness suggested by its ester-rich, billowing, pit fruit aspects. The 2005 “R” is going to be fabulous, but Philippi asked me to refrain from publishing a note so far in advance of its intended release. Bernd Philippi is making plans to sell his winery – as has long been expected given there is no one to inherit it – and says he has found a suitable buyer. Details – including all of those for which lovers of Koehler-Rupprecht wines (which seem inseperable from the person of Bernd Philippi) are waiting with baited breath – have yet to materialize. It has always been difficult to cover Koehler-Rupprecht Riesling in the context of a vintage report, because the dry wines are seldom released for at least a full year after already late bottling, the top examples are released years later as “R” or “RR” reserves. When I sat down with Philippi in August, 2007 we as usual tasted through a range of wines including many long ago sold-out, but what follows are notes on a few favorite or still upcoming releases. Unperturbed by the botrytis of the vintage, his 2005s are proving to be almost consistently outstanding.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300