Gewurztraminer-like brown spices, mint, and pepper greet one from the glass of Deinhard 2007 Deidesheimer Kalkofen Riesling Spatlese, which proceeds to richly coat the palate with an intoxicating mixture of corn mash, spices, musk melon, and herbal concentrates that lingers with memorable length. This deserves cellaring for at least two decades (naturally, with frequent tasting along the way!) if you want the full picture. The late 2007 purchase of the Dr. Deinhard (a.k.a. VON WINNING) estate by entrepreneur Achim Niederberger – who already owned Bassermann-Jordan and von Buhl, with which it was once one – has brought rapid changes, most notably the arrival at the estate’s helm of Stefan Attmann (former wine merchant and consummate wine geek with a degree in marketing) who is – to put it mildly – a gifted young man on a mission and full of stimulating ideas. His and Niederberger’s specific notions for the reorganization of the estate and its line of wines had not yet entirely gelled when I tasted a subset of their 2007s, a collection whose outcome at this address they were not able to influence until after its harvest. That said, my visit found Attmann still working with long-time cellar master Kurt Rathgeber who – along with now-retired director Heinz Bauer – rendered much more delicious and interesting (if unabashedly old-fashioned) wine than a great many German critics were willing to credit them. Many of the Deinhard 2007s were only selected by the importer to offer this Spring, by which point I had no time to go back and taste those that I had missed while visiting the estate. The ostensibly top dry wines from 2008 will be bottled under the label Weingut von Winning (from the name of an early 20th Century owner by marriage) which beginning this year has becomes the new official name for the winery, with Dr. Deinhard as a sub-label.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300