Produced entirely in new oak, Deiss's 2000 Pinot Gris Altenberg de Bergheim has Selection de Grains Nobles-levels of richness. Its apricot-laced nose is heavily laden with botrytis spices. Medium to full-bodied, it is a powerful, intense, dense wine with complex yellow fruit flavors intermingled with vanilla, toast, and spices whose flavors linger throughout its extended character. Drink it between 2006 and 2020. According to Deiss, "2000 was a vintage of great weather, yet one that carries with it problems of balance, like all great vintages. Some will consider these wines as too rich and having too much alcohol or residual sugar." He added that "2001 presented us with climatic chaos but the end result is as great as 2000." Deiss, a bio-dynamic farmer, stressed that he never chaptalizes his wines, including the reds.Importer: New Castle Imports, Inc., Myrtle Beach, SC; tel. (843) 448-9463

The 1998 Pinot Gris Altenberg de Bergheim was produced from low 23 h/h yields. It displays boisterous, rich, smoky apricot aromas. This full-bodied, oily-textured wine is packed with compotes of apricots, pears, and spices. It has huge depth, massive richness, and density. Concentrated and well-structured, it also possesses a long, honeyed lemon-packed finish. Drink it over the next 12 years. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; (202) 832-9083.