Picked out at the time of the corresponding Grosses Gewachs harvest, Kuhling-Gillot’s 2011 Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese is alluringly and intriguingly scented with candied lemon and orange rinds partially veiled by yeasty, freshly baked bread, and rendered enticing and mouthwatering by intimations of maritime salinity and alkalinity. There is a surprising sense of lift and retention of primary juiciness here for a wine of such viscosity and creaminess as well as honeyed and confectionary cast. For now though, it doesn’t carry with the intensity or persistence I anticipated (or that I observed in the corresponding trio from Gillot’s husband Spanier), and the sense of sweetness becomes quite overriding as the impression of fresh juiciness drops off. I imagine that this will merit following for decades, though almost certainly it will take several for it to significantly decay.Carolin Gillot has expanded her acreage in Nierstein, and given what seems to be a dearth of growers from that village who are really on top of their game (Strub very much excepted), Riesling lovers must be grateful that some of Germany’s elite vintners who are based nearby (or, in Keller’s case, not all that nearby) have been taking custody of vineyards on the famous Red Slope, where increasingly many of the traditional landholders have in recent years sold their estates and small growers have shown themselves willing to lease after witnessing the meticulous work of a Gillot with neighboring vines. (Such willingness cannot, sadly, be presumed in the world of European wine. On the contrary, it seems more common for small landholders to resist leasing to outsiders out of misplaced communal pride.) This year’s Gillot Grosse Gewachse finished analytically extremely dry, and remained on their full lees until three days before June bottling. The result is an enhancement of fullness and stuffing, though happily at around 13.5% alcohol they evince no significant heat. (Why Gillot neglected to show me her Nackenheimer Rothenberg Grosses Gewachs, though, I can’t explain, and am remiss for having not redressed that omission.)Imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799