The 2004 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Spatlese halbtrocken smells of sweet corn and apple jack laced with herbs and brown spices. The palate displays juicy sweet corn, plum and apple as well as brown spices, with the hint of sweetness perfectly deployed to support and enhance those flavors. Chalk, salt, lime peel, concentrated maize and orchard fruits, and alluring spice combine on the long finish. Bernd Philippi is always late to assemble the individual barrels, much less bottle most of his dry Rieslings from the Saumagen vineyard, so a proper overall assessment of 2004 here will have to wait another year. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The 2004 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Spatlese smells of corn mash, pralines and ginger snap cookies laced with lemon zest. The palate exhibits a plummy, peachy, nutty richness, gingery spiciness, and salty, chalky nuances. Vis a vis its halbtrocken counterpart, this is just slightly muted by its sweetness. If it follows estate-typical patterns, one can expect this young Spatlese to become more expressive over the next few months and to age interestingly for two decades. Bernd Philippi is always late to assemble the individual barrels, much less bottle most of his dry Rieslings from the Saumagen vineyard, so a proper overall assessment of 2004 here will have to wait another year. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300