Loewen’s 2008 Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Alte Reben 1896 represents the first bottling under his label of wine from the now 113 year old vines that Bruno Schmitt has farmed for nearly six decades in this great, too little-known site. Now that Loewen has leased the Schmitt-Wagner estate, he will also render (in collaboration with Schmitt) an abbreviated number of off-dry Rieslings (see in this report under Schmitt-Wagner). Removing botrytis-affected berries from the tiny bunches of compact little berries that characterize these ancient vines was devilish work, says Loewen, but he was rewarded with something extraordinary. What remained was green gold, and by no means over-ripe, because as Loewen puts it “concentration and fat were immaterial here.” A fascinating nose of carnation, lemon oil, red currant, hazelnut, and wet stone anticipates a palate performance of utmost subtlety and interactive complexity with red currant, crushed stone, lemon zest, and pungent floral perfume in a matrix of white peach. This finishes with both enormous intrigue and seductive richness, while at the same time preserving the vintage’s sense of lift and elegance. I fancy it being worth following for more than a decade. Karl-Josef Loewen associates the measurably high dry extracts of his 2008s with their ability to buffer high acids but also to convey mineral characteristics. He was pleased to point out that not one of his dry wines reached 12% alcohol this vintage, and only partly on account of that vintage itself. Especially with his oldest vines, pruning for multiple short canes and de-leafing at critical junctures are among the techniques being employed to diminish the accretion of sugar and maximize flavor. Small berries and clusters are also critical, says Loewen, who does not believe in green harvesting. “The trick,” he opines, “is to make little wine from many bunches, rather than little wine from few bunches.”Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300