Kiwi and pineapple dominate the nose and luscious, juicy palate of Kerpen’s 2009 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett feinherb, whose slight residual sugar is essentially wicked away by bright acids and buffered by ample extract. Lip-smacking salinity adds appeal to the finish of this lithe charmer, while notes of apple pip and crushed stone add to its sense of invigoration. It should show well for at least a decade, and I sense that when it settles down, more nuances will emerge, and it might conceivably some day even give its illustrious 2008 predecessor a run for the money. Martin Kerpen’s 2009 collection Rieslings possess uncommon brightness for their vintage, and he continues to excel across a blessedly broad stylistic range, from legally trocken through nobly sweet – and, more importantly, with plenty of successful stops in-between. It’s worth noting that Kerpen is especially keen on the quality of his nobly sweet 2009s – wines that are certainly close to off-the-charts on paper – although as readers can see, my praise for them is more selective.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300