Given the relative austerity of Rieslings from this chalky site, Philippi had not bottled his 2008 Kallstadter Annaberg Riesling Kabinett trocken when I last tasted at Koehler Rupprecht in September. Anchovy-like brine and piscine notes in the nose persist on the palate, accompanied by roasted turnip and fresh lemon. This bright, spare Riesling that seems almost as though it could me at home on the Saar or in Chablis might gain more depth with some bottle age, but I would tentatively plan to drink it over the next 4-5 years. For comments on the recent sale of this estate (the most important of which is Bernd Philippi’s insistence that “nothing will change”) and on other developments here, see my report in issue 185. The choice of Pradikat-designation (or of “Reserve” status) for his many dry Rieslings from the large Saumagen site, explains Philippi, was once again this year – as in many others – based on an assessment of phenolic ripeness (clues: are the grapes greener or deeper gold; how big and how numerous are they?) and ultimately on style, concentration, and perceived aging potential, rather than on must weight, since sugar levels in the grapes were relatively uniform. Philippi acquired the major vineyard holdings of his friend Walter Henninger – notably in the chalky Annaberg – after that estate was recently dissolved, so while he had been farming these parcels and making the wines for many years under Henninger’s label, beginning in 2008 they became Koehler Rupprecht wines.A new U.S. importer had not yet been selected as of press time.