Wittmann’s 2009 Westhofener Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs is impeccably balanced, evincing a sense of energetic swing and refreshment rather than weightiness or alcohol, and with a seamless sense of polish that doesn’t preclude invigoration or interactive exchange of chalk, stone, iodine, nut oils, citrus, pit fruits, and their pits. No doubt Wittmann is correct in viewing this wine’s long stay on its fine lees as having ultimately conduced to greater clarity and complexity as well as textural allure, and it is free of the sense of austerity I often associate chez Wittmann with this site as well as with Kirchspiel. Plan to follow this for at least 6-8 years. “The fruit was picture perfect,” says Philipp Wittmann of his 2009 crop in general, and he managed to capture ripe, complex flavors largely without the alcoholic interference or austerity that have sometimes led me to express reservations about the widely-lauded Rieslings of this articulate, conscientious young biodynamic practitioner. Wittmann characterized his harvest as having occupied “the last half of October, followed by a week of playing around (‘Spielerei’)” that focused on a few cooler sites. His approach was to see to it that the wines fermented quickly so as to avoid any bacteriological issues such as inadvertent malo-lactic transformation, but thereafter to give the young wines extended stays on their fine lees.Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

Deceptively easy, with a soft, off-dry finish, this wine nevertheless has plenty of other things going for it, including a complex array of honey, melon and spice flavors framed by hints of wet stone. It’s slightly sweet and peppery on the long finish. ——J.C.(12/1/2011)—— 88