With Kerpen’s “one-star” 2010 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese* we happily enter the realm of creamily-textured and dreamily-buoyant as well as complex Riesling, its scents of apple blossom, honeysuckle, and heliotrope enticing, and its juicy, vanilla-tinged apple and grapefruit backed by ample but by no means excessive residual sugar. While this represents a significant advance in complexity and enticement over its immediate “no-star” sibling, I would be inclined to monitor things a bit more carefully in this instance, while anticipating 10 or 12 years’ satisfaction. Martin Kerpen practiced must-de-acidification on most of his 2010s, and some additional acid-adjustment to certain wines as well, especially (but by no means exclusively) those that fell into the trocken sector. “People went on about the eventual advantageous effects of tartrate precipitation,” says Kerpen, “but I don’t think they took into account just how unusually little tartaric acid there was this year. I had a T.B.A. analyzed that had 16 grams of total acidity and it turned out to have only 3 grams of tartaric!” His example may be extreme, but it reminds one of the general rule that seems to hold in 2010 by which the more botrytized the fruit the higher the acidity stubbornly remained; and it’s possible that the background levels of botrytis in Kerpen’s 2010 grapes as a whole – a background impossible to avoid noticing as one tastes through this collection – also made for relatively high ratios of malic to tartaric acid even by vintage standards. Kerpen suspected that location played a role, and that growers in Urzig had not only lower total acidities but lower ratios of malic than those in Wehlen and Graach. I had to disabuse him of that belief based from my experience! He insists that his latest wines all need time to show their true worth; but I would caution that while there is much that’s fascinating and delicious in this collection, there is even a bit more of a question mark hanging over the future evolution of certain of these wines than over that of typical 2010s from top-notch growers.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

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Replete with hilarious new art work – ‘though I’m told the U.S. bottles will sport one of Kerpen’s older and more staid designer labels – his “one-star” 2009 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese* smells of brown spices vanilla folded into honey-drenched apple sauce with grapefruit and orange citricity offering bright counterpoint. The result is dynamic and luscious, finishing with alkaline, saline, and stony notes that add intriguing depth. Here is a perfect example of how to gain richness without sacrificing poise or refreshment; a lovely encapsulation of vintage virtues: subtly-ennobled ripeness, flattering richness, yet levity and refreshment. Look for this beauty to seduce over at least the next 25 years. Martin Kerpen’s 2009 collection Rieslings possess uncommon brightness for their vintage, and he continues to excel across a blessedly broad stylistic range, from legally trocken through nobly sweet – and, more importantly, with plenty of successful stops in-between. It’s worth noting that Kerpen is especially keen on the quality of his nobly sweet 2009s – wines that are certainly close to off-the-charts on paper – although as readers can see, my praise for them is more selective.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Fresh apple and brown spices on the nose of Kerpen’s 2009 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese segue into a subtly tart, pungent palate presentation that however misses the lusciousness and length of the corresponding Bernkasteler. That said, the faintly oily texture as well as the underlying sense of nutty richness and wet stone that emerge in the finish offer a lot of appeal, and perhaps on another occasion this Spatlese – surely likely to remain fresh for 15 years – will be more expressive and seductive. Martin Kerpen’s 2009 collection Rieslings possess uncommon brightness for their vintage, and he continues to excel across a blessedly broad stylistic range, from legally trocken through nobly sweet – and, more importantly, with plenty of successful stops in-between. It’s worth noting that Kerpen is especially keen on the quality of his nobly sweet 2009s – wines that are certainly close to off-the-charts on paper – although as readers can see, my praise for them is more selective.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300