The Schmid 2010 Riesling Sunogeln – from a terraced, south-facing, meager gravel and eroded Urgestein site in Stratzing – smells peachy and fusil. Surprisingly broad on the palate and less focused or fascinatingly mineral than the corresponding Pfaffenberg, this offers soothing finishing satisfaction with a tincture of iodine and hint of wet stone, but represents, I suspect, an instance of de-acidification chipping away a bit at a Riesling’s relief. I last met with Schmid in order to taste his 2007s (on which I reported in issue 181), and my visit this June confirms him as a source of some seriously delicious and well-priced wines. He opened for me a few of his 2009s as well as his most recent collection. Schmid claims to have had only one-third of a normal crop in 2010 from his 40 acres (which are spread over some 50 parcels). “Some of my old vines didn’t even have any crop on them this year,” he notes.A Monika Caha Selection, New York, NY; tel. (212) 877-3558 with various importers, including Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

The Schmid 2009 Riesling Sunogeln is prominently peppery, and lime and lemon rind adds further bite and pungency to what is nonetheless an expansive and sweetly peach- and melon-fruited performance. As in several other instances, the 15 year old vines in this warm site offer fullness at the expense of focus, and rustic rather than refined phenolics. And while the alcohol is not analytically high, one catches a hint of warmth, perhaps for lack of buffering mid-palate extract. All that said, the amplitude and persistence of flavor on display are undeniable, though I would plan on drinking the wine within the next several years.I last met with Schmid in order to taste his 2007s (on which I reported in issue 181), and my visit this June confirms him as a source of some seriously delicious and well-priced wines. He opened for me a few of his 2009s as well as his most recent collection. Schmid claims to have had only one-third of a normal crop in 2010 from his 40 acres (which are spread over some 50 parcels). “Some of my old vines didn’t even have any crop on them this year,” he notes.A Monika Caha Selection, New York, NY; tel. (212) 877-3558 with various importers, including Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

The 2007 Riesling Sunogeln – from a gravel and eroded Urgestein site in Stratzing, and one of several Schmid wines bottled under the promotional “Priorissa” label shared with a group of Kremstal vintners – smells of apple blossom, sweet clover, and marjoram; displays clear, refreshing apple, peach, and citrus fruit with pungent herbal and crushed stone accents on an oily palate; and finishes with orange zest and honey adding to its ripe assortment of flavors. A bottle open for nearly three days was still fresh and expressive. This will be released this year, and should be worth holding for at least 4-5. Josef Schmid – son of the eponymous Schmid for whom the winery is named – did not score quite the number of successes this year that had come to my attention from 2006. But visiting with him made clear the passion with which he is pursuing quality, and which is resulting in some excellent values. Nearly all of the 2007s here were rather tight and reductive last summer, so they may well all benefit short term from time in bottle.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler Importing, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

The 2006 Riesling Sunogeln (from a gravel site in Stratzing, and also bottled under the “Priorissa” label) is another irresistible Schmid success. Apricot, apple blossom, and lime in the nose put me in mind of a Mosel. An exuberant, juicy rush of grapefruit, lime, fresh apple, and apricot on the palate picks up brown spices, citrus zest, and salty minerality as it reaches a long, lip-smacking finish. No doubt you can enjoy this for the next several years with little concern that the fruit will fade. Even Chardonnay comes off well in Schmid’s obviously expert hands. While I did not have occasion yet to meet Josef Schmid, the samples that came my way were, to say the least, impressive. The 2006s canvassed below are no flukes: Schmid’s 2005s were also hugely successful, although for reasons of space and the context of this report, I have not published those notes.Importing, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 932-9113