Although the term “Grosses Gewachs” is associated with the VDP growers association but utilized by relatively few of that organizations Mosel members, the members of the so-called Bernkastler Ring adopted the term in 2006 to refer to ambitious dry Riesling bottlings, and Kerpen’s 2006 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Grosses Gewachs (what in the past would have been his Auslese trocken – or perhaps halbtrocken) avoids the slight severity and bitterness that took the qualitative edge off of its 2005 counterpart. Toasted nuts, baked apple, and wet stone inform this voluminous, rich Riesling, which finishes with real grip and no sign of heat from its nearly 14% alcohol. I wonder how this will mature, but in any case it should be fascinating for at least the next several years. Martin Kerpen and his vines had a hard act to follow after their successes in 2005 but were more than up to the task, confirming the hypothesis that these always excellent wines have crossed a new quality threshold. Still, the last place I would have imagined 2006s keeping pace was in the range of trocken.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300