Sage, mint, dill, and bergamot intensely scent the Ostertag 2008 Muscat d’Alsace Fronholz so that I suspect I would have mistaken it, blind, for a Scheurebe. Glossy yet with underlying firmness, its spread of herbal essences at once cooling and soothing, this finishes surprisingly softly and gently for its vintage and variety but with satisfying persistence. Plan on serving it over the next 3-4 years. (The corresponding 2009 was rather coarse and awkwardly bitter as well as surprisingly voluminous by comparison.) Andre Ostertag picked most of his 2008s in the second week of October – relatively early for that vintage – and only 8-10 days behind the period during which the bulk of his 2009s were brought in. “The central problem with 2009,” observes Ostertag, “was to achieve balanced dryness in the finished wines.” (He would exempt Gewurztraminer from that comment, because he always finishes it unapologetically sweet; though here too, as my tasting notes demonstrate, something to counterbalance residual sugar was wanting.) Ostertag calls 2008 “a classic vintage, in the manner of the 1980s (decade),” and on reflection came up with the vintage analogy that had most struck me, namely to 1988.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Ostertag confesses that he would not bother to bottle a Muscat if he were not so attached to his old vines, warning that “they won’t be around for ever,” but if his 2007 Muscat d’Alsace Fronholz is indicative of those vines’ stamina, there is little reason to worry about having to pull them! Pungently redolent of mint, marjoram, bay leaf, lemon zest, and distilled apricot, this hits the mouth like a skater’s blade and finishes with frisky, palate-etching intensity. It’s also downright austere in its combination of aggressive phenolics, total dryness, and firmness. I would be inclined to serve it over the next 4-5 years, but I guarantee it will prove highly versatile. Andre Ostertag was like most of his region’s best growers very selective about what he chose to bottle in 2006. He is especially enthusiastic about his uncompromisingly intense 2007s and the sense in which the Rieslings resemble a throwback to the moderate must weights and refreshing acidity that was common in Alsace before the string of warm vintages that has been nearly uninterrupted since 1988. I was surprised to find myself as impresses as I was with the 2007 Pinot Gris bottlings here, but Ostertag says it was simply unfair until very recently to compare his results with that grape to those with Riesling, because the vines of the former were too young. They’ve passed 20 years of age now, and that, he opines, is why they can start to show their real potential (and, I would add, stand up to Ostertag’s use of barriques). While I hate to take up space with this matter, readers should be aware that wines from this estate that formerly bore the village name “Epfig” will now merely be coded with the capital letter “E” because of certain limitations that the authorities have now imposed on the use of village designates and the definition of “village level” names. (Frankly, I wouldn’t even want to understand the regulation if I thought it would prove intelligible!)Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524