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. The 1992 Gewurztraminer Altenberg Vendange Tardive (made from yields of two tons per acre) was picked at Grain Nobles richness, but fermented to a level that most consumers would consider off-dry. Extremely rich and full-bodied, with a honeyed lychee-nut-scented nose and dense, thick, viscous flavors, it possesses the requisite acidity to hold this powerhouse together. It can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083