While – as can be tasted – quality did not suffer from the hail that hit Oppenheim this year, quantity did. Now that Gillot has additional acreage on the famed Red Slope, there will be more of her village-level 2011 Niersteiner Riesling trocken and its successors. White peach, yellow plum and smoked meat in the nose segue into an expansive, full palate whose smoky persistence certainly preserves a sense of ripe fruit, though not the same primary juiciness or mineral refinement as was found in the corresponding Oppenheimer. Gillot thinks the character of a Nierstein Riesling is inherently slower to display itself. As they have done on a few previous occasions with this or other bottlings, the estate has held aside half of this wine’s production to sell – especially to restaurateurs – in five or six years. I’d be inclined to await the re-release myself. Carolin Gillot has expanded her acreage in Nierstein, and given what seems to be a dearth of growers from that village who are really on top of their game (Strub very much excepted), Riesling lovers must be grateful that some of Germany’s elite vintners who are based nearby (or, in Keller’s case, not all that nearby) have been taking custody of vineyards on the famous Red Slope, where increasingly many of the traditional landholders have in recent years sold their estates and small growers have shown themselves willing to lease after witnessing the meticulous work of a Gillot with neighboring vines. (Such willingness cannot, sadly, be presumed in the world of European wine. On the contrary, it seems more common for small landholders to resist leasing to outsiders out of misplaced communal pride.) This year’s Gillot Grosse Gewachse finished analytically extremely dry, and remained on their full lees until three days before June bottling. The result is an enhancement of fullness and stuffing, though happily at around 13.5% alcohol they evince no significant heat. (Why Gillot neglected to show me her Nackenheimer Rothenberg Grosses Gewachs, though, I can’t explain, and am remiss for having not redressed that omission.)Imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

The Kuhling-Gillot 2009 Nierstein Riesling trocken presents a smoky aromatic cast along with bittersweet toasted nut and citrus oils that follow on a richly-textured, full palate to which ashen and peaty notes add a somewhat austere finishing complexity. This admirably-concentrated and seamless if somewhat severe expression of Riesling on Nierstein’s steep slopes of classic Permian sandstone ought to perform well for at least 3-4 years, and perhaps might in the process come to display a bit more winsome and welcoming visage. Like her husband Oliver Spanier (of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier), Carolin Gillot – for more about whose estate see in particular my reports in issues 185 and 187 – seems disinclined to tolerates residual sugar in her wines. Whether or not it is for that reason that they elected not to bottle the 28 gram residual sugar successor to the superb Kuhling-Gillot 2008 Gewurztraminer feinherb, I do wish I’d had chance to satisfy my curiosity by sampling that wine from cask. (I missed out also on sampling this year’s Kuhling-Gillot Pinot Gris from bottle.)Imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

As its origins in Pettenthal and Oelberg would suggest, Gillot’s 2008 Niersteiner Riesling trocken is far finer, richer, and more interesting than her somewhat simply lemony generic bottling. Wood smoke and lemon zest contrast with a doughy texture and almost over-ripe flavors of peach and yellow plum. Faintly bitter toasted nuttiness and citrus peel help extend the finish. This boasts serious energy and intensity, and should be even better once if calms down and harmonizes a bit more in bottle. I wouldn’t hesitate to plan following it for half a dozen years. Carolin Gillot – for more about whose estate see my report in issue 185 – professes the importance of spontaneous fermentations to retain refinement in her relatively warm sites as well as – in the ideal case – to render less efficient the conversion of sugar to alcohol. As a measure of Gillot’s recent commercial success and excellent press within Germany, not a single bottle of her village-level Riesling from Oppenheim could be found for me to taste – which was last September – and she reported that the last large order had had to be shorted. Given the quality of this latest collection, things are unlikely to get better in regard to the demand-supply ratio!Importer: Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799