Weingut Ratzenberger Steeger St. Jost Riesling Spatlese Trocken, Mittelrhein, Germany

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The 2008 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Spatlese trocken didn’t finish fermenting until mid-July. Nevertheless, they bottled it soon thereafter, and it captures a very similar juxtaposition of palpable density and subtle textural richness (here, slightly creamy) with lift and vivacity as did this year’s generic dry Kabinett. Here, however, we have a striking intensity of flavor and a grip, carried by grapefruit and its zest; raw almond; the sappy presence of Persian melon, white peach and chewy peach skin; and sheer stone. What lift and sense of dynamic interaction of fruit flavors with mineral notes this shows in its finish! And it will almost surely display even more after a longer post-bottling rest, not to mention be worth following for ten or a dozen years. When you taste a collection like this year’s from the two Jochen Ratzenbergers, you have to wonder why their wines’ consistent quality; track record for aging; and frequently stellar performances do not make this one of the most talked-about estates in Germany. (Maybe I shouldn’t wish that on us!) In fact, they are quite well-respected at home, but I think there is a certain snobbishness that rebounds against even the best Mittelrhein Riesling because this region’s precious half-timbered villages and crenellated slopes spell “tourist country” to most German wine lovers.Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644