More seamlessly ripe than its two immediate siblings, the Kubler 2009 Gewurztraminer Zinnkoepfle is generous with pear drops and quince preserves, accompanied by more classic notes of mint and rose petal. There is soothing, impressive polish, although I find the finish relatively simply and overly sweet. What’s more, I cannot imagine this mustering sufficient stamina or sustaining sufficient interest to justify cellaring for more than half a dozen years, which will be insufficient to make any significant dent in its superficial sweetness. Philippe Kubler is among the few Alsace growers I met to have elected – quite reasonably in my opinion – to market some of his 2009s ahead of (and others concurrent with) the corresponding 2008s. He notes that “the styles are dramatically different, and the 2008s deserve a year or longer in the bottle whereas the 2009s are ready to drink.” That said, I suspect that save for the V.T.s among them, Kubler’s 2008s aren’t really built for long aging.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283