The 2010 Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Grosses Gewachs – fermented in cask and later transferred to tank – is the Rumpfs’ one trocken wine of its vintage that was not de-acidified, and whether or not by mere coincidence is also arguably their most successful. Tart green apple and grapefruit with piquant hints of their pips could to be sure tend toward austerity, but there is a leesy richness of texture along with underlying nut oils and a bright primary juiciness here that alleviate the aforementioned tendency, while myriad stony and smoky mineral and forest floor nuances are clearly projected in a satisfyingly long, refreshing finish. (That this retained seven grams of residual sugar – high by the standards of this year’s Kruger-Rumpf trockens – might also play a role in its expressiveness.) Following for 4-6 years might make sense, although I foresee this wine succumbing to increasing austerity thereafter. Stefan and Georg Rumpf’s 2010 collection was one of those, whose stubbornly-dry trocken Rieslings more than just occasionally tended toward an angularity, bitterness, and tartness that I doubt they will entirely outgrow. The Rumpfs de-acidified selectively, sometimes in must and sometimes to young wine. Skin contact was favored as a check on acids, though that may arguably have reinforced bitterness. Bottling times were pushed back by about a month, though in the context of such late harvest that means essentially the usual length of elevage. Incidentally, I found the Rumpf’s two 2009 Spatburgunder bottlings to have been diminished by the quality of barriques employed and/or the wine’s length of exposure to wood, specifically by faintly rancid overtones and a tendency toward drying in the finish.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300