Bacon and rose petal-scented soap in the nose of the Kubler 2009 Gewurztraminer K are backed up on a lush, glycerin-rich palate by prominent sweetness. Brown spices add allure in a finish whose lift, elegance, and sense of refreshment surprised me given the vintage and grape. Still, I’m bound to ask about Alsace Gewurztraminers like this – of which there are so many – “how much demand can there be for this sort of aperitif or sipping wine?” because I can’t imagine (notwithstanding the usual refrain about “oriental cuisine”) that this would prove complementary with very many dishes, and it isn’t nearly sweet or rich enough to be treated as “dessert wine.” Plan on drinking it over the next 3-4 years. 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