The Kesseler 2009 Spatburgunder Rose – representing bleeding of the fermentations from various lots of Assmannshauser Holle – smells almost like a Pinot-Riesling blend with its meld of apple and cherry, musk melon and leather. Given this wines 13% alcohol, it probably made sense to stop it with a bit of sweetness, but that move – taken together with a lactic cast – doesnt leave a whole lot of room for refreshment. Still, this is certainly fruitful, attractively silken in texture, and its hint of finishing salinity offers some saliva stimulation. August Kesseler and his cellarmaster Max Himstedt promise great things from their 2009 Pinot Noirs but they were not yet ready to show them last September. In light of that allegedly outstanding quality as well as of the difficult market, they decided that their 2008 collection in red should culminate at the Cuvee Max quality level and not include vineyard-designated bottlings. In his usual conservative and market-sensitive approach, Kesseler also elected to bottle from 2009 one of his smallest Riesling collections in memory, inter alia forgoing any attempt to capture what little botrytis was present. Irrigation was critical during the late summer drought, insists Kesseler, “otherwise, we would have harvested grapes in the Rudesheimer Berg of only 80 or 85 Oechsle.”Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

The Kessler 2008 Spatburgunder Rose – from a combination of bleeding (as is noted on the label) and a portion of grapes directly pressed – is very lightly tinged with partridge eye color. Sappy, tart sour cherry fruit, with a hint of blood orange, is well-supported by the wine’s modest residual sugar, which is much less obvious than in the 2007 rendition; and the finish – while simple – is succulent, refreshing, and delicious. Cellarmaster Max Himstedt said he and August Kesseler had decided they would de-acidity if the acids in Riesling did not drop below a certain level (not a problem in the Rudesheimer Berg, but a potential one in lesser sites of that village and in Lorch). In the event, it was possible to let the fruit hang long enough to avoid this, and after the significant tartrate precipitation of the winter, the measurable acid levels don’t even seem extreme on paper, although brightness is certainly a trait most of their Rieslings this vintage have in common. A sign of the internal assessment of any given vintage at this address is whether two, one, or no Erstes Gewachs bottling is essayed – and Kesseler’s record on that score has been very conservative. In 2008, he bottled two. On the other hand, no sweet wines – botrytized or otherwise – were attempted. The Kesseler 2008 reds were too immature to assess on the occasion of my last visit there, and as usual I have chosen (and he prefers) to offer an assessment of his finished wines, in this instance of 2007.Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802