The Hirtzberger 2009 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Singerriedel – representing, like its B.A. counterpart, an early, post-precipitation (but also post-B.A., mid-October) culling of botrytized bunches – mingles mirabelle, apricot, and peach preserves; honey, caramel, and nougat in an almost syrupy concentrate that is at the same time saturated with lemon juice. Somehow – perhaps it’s a matter of this wine’s sheer density – there is not the sweet-tart bifurcation exhibited by the B.A., but instead an impression of near-implosive pit fruit concentration in a caressingly, creamily viscous yet nearly weightless medium, shot through with quickening, saliva-inducing electricity and salinity. This elegant, actively engaging, indeed downright irresistible elixir ought to be worth following for at least a quarter century, provided of course you can latch-on to 375 ml. of its 200 liter volume, which, incidentally, is not really a tiny amount when compared with past Hirtzberger T.B.A.s. Given the penchant at this address for late harvest; considerable skin contact; and must aeration, I was not surprised to learn from Franz Hirtzberger Junior that only their Riesling Federspiel had been at all de-acidified. “If there’d been even a bit more hanging out there though,” he notes “then we wouldn’t have made it” – i.e. acheived ripe grapes. “We learned our lesson from 1996,” as Hirtzberger Senior saw it, namely not to harvest – despite ongoing crop loss and fear of ignoble rot (though in this case that didn’t materialize) – until the acids finally began to diminish and the skins to properly ripen. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

A further selection was performed resulting in a non-commercial quantity of 2006 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese. Deep gold in color this resembles a blend of Eiswein and Eszencia in its combination of viscosity, flavors of candied fruit and confectionary icing, and super-concentration of bright lemon all leading to a paradoxical impression of lightness. This finishes with infectious juiciness of fresh lemon and lime along with apricot and peach preserves, white raisin, and marzipan. Startling in its purity, clarity, and length, it manages not to taste at all overridingly sweet despite 280 grams of residual sugar. Both of these sublimely ennobled Riesling elixirs displayed more completeness and harmony than is often the case prior to bottling. Anyone given a chance to taste them should not quibble about the price, and the lucky few able to cellar some bottles should expect at least two decades of enjoyment from either one.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

Singerriedel and a bit of Hochrin fruit inform Hirtzberger’s 2005 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, a wine of enormous density, with super-concentrated flavors of apricot paste, honey, nut oils, and cinnamon. Rich and fat without being at all heavy, it leaves an enormous trail of fruit and spice and – embryonic as it is now – is bound to blossom further with time. That said, it is not now, and never will be remotely as striking as its Beerenauslese counterpart.Also recommended: 2005 Gruner Veltliner Steinfeder Donaugarten (not available; 85).Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700