“Originally, I planned on bottling both a Spatlese and an Auslese,” explains Wittmann of his 2009 Westhofener Morstein Riesling Auslese, “but it turned out that the (intended) Spatlese was actually the more attractive Auslese, and the two lots blended well.” This is highly distinctive in its amalgam of fresh fig, white peach, and musk melon, garlanded with narcissus and heliotrope. Suggestions of pineapple emerging on the creamy, succulent palate add welcome, tartly juicy stimulation. At only 7.5% alcohol and correspondingly high residual sugar, this delicately-balanced, lusciously long-finishing Auslese manages to control its sense of sweetness so that its residual sugar proves entirely supportive rather than superficially saccharine. I would anticipate an outstanding run of 15-20 years for this polished performance.“The fruit was picture perfect,” says Philipp Wittmann of his 2009 crop in general, and he managed to capture ripe, complex flavors largely without the alcoholic interference or austerity that have sometimes led me to express reservations about the widely-lauded Rieslings of this articulate, conscientious young biodynamic practitioner. Wittmann characterized his harvest as having occupied “the last half of October, followed by a week of playing around (‘Spielerei’)” that focused on a few cooler sites. His approach was to see to it that the wines fermented quickly so as to avoid any bacteriological issues such as inadvertent malo-lactic transformation, but thereafter to give the young wines extended stays on their fine lees.Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

Focused flavors of orange spice cake, apple tart and pear give this plenty of lift. Elegant and fresh-tasting, with fresh spice and citrus zest notes. The luscious finish features peach cobbler. Best from 2014 through 2038. 50 cases imported.??–KM??Region: Germany / Rheinhessen Select to Add