The generic Diel 2009 Burg Layen Riesling Kabinett (corresponding more or less to the wine labeled last year as “Burg Layen Kabinett”) is generous with apple and pear; tinged with Erdener Treppchen-like notes of sassafras and licorice; and finishes with subtle sweetness, ample juiciness, and alluring underlying nuttiness. A mysterious hint of gentian emerged in one of the two bottles I tasted as it opened to the air. This combines creaminess, refreshment, and interactive complexity in a manner that anticipates the striking success of the Diel single-vineyard Kabinetts. And at 10.5% alcohol, it sacrifices no sense of levity or delicacy yet is able to project merely discreet sweetness. Enjoy this delightfully versatile Riesling over the next 10-12 years. Caroline Diel’s 2009 collection is noteworthy not only for a range of outstanding Riesling such as has long been anticipated (though seldom bettered) at this estate, but also for a set of wines from the Pinot family – all, incidentally, now labeled with French rather than German names for their varieties – that in my estimation mark a significant up-tick in quality. That this estate has been famous in Germany for its work with Pinots ever since Armin Diel assumed charge in 1987 and began barrique vinification, I am of course well aware. But only in recent years have I witnessed tendencies to restrain the influence of new wood and to encourage real subtlety, which seem to me prerequisites for achieving with these varieties anything remotely approaching the class of Schlossgut Diel’s Rieslings. The 2009 Pinots were harvested in mid-October and most of the Rieslings in the two weeks following. The superb botrytis selections were all picked-out ahead of even the Pinots. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300