A serious Pinot Noir, elegant yet intense, featuring currant and pomegranate flavors, accented by hints of iron and rooibos tea. Shows density and vibrancy, producing balance, though this could use another year or two in the cellar. Offers good grip on the lingering finish. Best from 2021 through 2031. 134 cases made, 50 cases imported.??–AZ??Region: Germany / Rheingau Select to Add

The 2006 Rheingau represents a traditional, dry-tasting blend of Silvaner and Riesling, and a fantastic value, based on fruit from the steep slate slopes of Lorch, and outfitted with a label that simple says “Kesseler Rheingau.” Pear, herb, and nut oil aromas and flavors inform this juicy, subtly creamy and utterly delightful white. Nor does it lack for a sense of slate stone minerality, and indeed on different soil it is impossible to imagine Silvaner with this degree of poise and delicacy. Enjoy this versatile and supremely refreshing wine within 2-3 years of harvest. Kesseler suffered a 50% loss in crop from his long-term average, but ruthless selectivity on top of his usual low yields paid dividends in quality albeit at the price of prominent sweetness. Kesseler attempted neither a Kabinett, nor (insisting that botrytis and alcohol would have been too evident) did he essay any dry wines from his estate holdings in Rudesheim. The 2005 vintage reds – bottled in mid-2007 – have fulfilled their excellent promise. Needless to say, from these steep stone sites, and cropped at the levels requisite for top quality, Kesseler Pinot Noirs do not come cheap. But they certainly invite comparison with red Burgundies selling for comparable prices. And while they are all very ripe, none of these 2005s betray their alcohol in bitterness or heat.Various importers including: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA tel. 800 362 4420; Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389-9463; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland, OR; tel. (503) 236-9370