This is not the first year in which Hiedler “regular” Gruner Veltliner Thal was harvested in November – in this case mid-November – but he still continued his practice of labeling the year’s second picking 2004 Gruner Veltliner Thal Novemberlese. In this wine, aromas of grapefruit, tobacco, and rhubarb lead into a creamy, almost custard-like rich palate that preserves a faint, prickly sharpness of acids and pungent notes of white pepper. The finish of pepper and crushed stone minerality displays strikingly tactile persistence, but also a hint of bitterness. This lay in one of Hiedler’s numerous mature Acacia (as opposed to oak) casks, and while my note is from bottle, half of the same lot will be bottled in fall. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300