Just about any French vineyard owner will talk terroir given the opportunity, but no one argues the case for terroir more passionately than Marcel Deiss. Should any readers be traveling to Alsace, Deiss is definitely a man worth visiting. All of his wines exhibit distinctive personalities. Riesling is king at the Deiss estate, although I note my highest ratings are often awarded to his other wines. Nevertheless, these Rieslings are classics in the austere, dry, mineral-dominated style. The 1993 Riesling Engelgarten (from well-drained, gravelly soil) displays a liquid stone-scented nose intertwined with whiffs of ripe oranges, as well as excellent richness. It may merit an outstanding score with another 1-2 years of cellaring. It is one of those terroir wines with aromas of wet stones and gravel that jump from the glass. Beautifully pure and well-delineated, it should last for a decade. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083