Nutty piquancy, salinity, and smokiness lend Kubler’s 2006 Pinot Gris Zinnkoepfle a more complex and varietally typical character than accrues to the corresponding (and sweeter) 2007, yet this too exhibits considerable primary fruit juiciness, tending to support his assertion that the high altitude of the site promotes the retention of sap and vivacity. Hints of mushroom, game, and forest floor offer further interest, even if in pointing to the dark side of the vintage they leads me to recommend that this be enjoyed over the next couple of years. Young Philippe Kubler returned to his family’s estate in 2004 after diverse and impressive international experience and is conscientiously working to pull this domaine into the vanguard of its region. It should be noted that the initial “K” in several Kubler bottlings is merely a way of designating his basic range of bottlings.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283