Loewen’s 2006 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Auslese A.P. #11 contrasts grapefruit, orange, and tart crabapple with butter cream and brown spices. Instead of clashing, these elements make for a scintillating tension. There is the same uncanny elegance and merely subtle sweetness as exhibited by the corresponding Ritsch, if without such seductive exoticism or textural allure. The cool citrus side dominates (at least for now) in a lingering finish of luscious generosity. This should be worth following for up to a quarter century. The Mosel’s greatest champion of once-great but recently-neglected sites and one of German viticulture’s most tireless outside-the-box thinkers in the search for quality, Karl-Josef Loewen took extra efforts in 2006 including adding supplemental pickers who helped him harvest in only ten days. He did not begin until October 8, believing that “before then, the ripeness just wasn’t there.” Loewen is notoriously fearless when it comes to harvesting botrytis, but he tended toward more whole-cluster pressing than usual to help guard against impure elements of rot. In an exciting development, beginning this year, Loewen is taking the lead with Carl Schmitt-Wagner in farming the latter’s ancient Riesling in Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg.Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300