The 2004 Steeger St. Jost Kabinett halbtrocken smells of apricot and orange blossom, then comes onto the palate with delicacy and lightness but an alluringly glossy texture and satisfying hint of creaminess, carrying grapefruit and apricot into a demure but reasonably long finish. The Jochen Ratzenbergers – father and son – seldom fear letting the acidity of their Rieslings hang out, and they also craft wines that often need a couple of year’s bottle age to blossom, so my verdict on their 2004s may well require upgrading. Acid levels in the grapes stayed high, but Jochen Ratzenberger Jr. reports that the estate has never experienced such unprovoked precipitation of tartrates as this year, which significantly diminished the finished acids.Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ tel 856-608-9644