Named for the red clay that occurs in the Weilberg and certain parts of the Herrenberg, the Eymael’s 2008 Riesling Spatlese trocken Terra Rosa represents a blend from each of those sites. At nearly nine grams of acid, it is extreme on paper as well as bright and brash on the palate. Pineapple, raw pumpkin and sage inform a palate whose compact density and glyceral richness help balance its acids. Subtly smoky suggestions add pungency to the aggressive finishing brightness of a wine that would appear to require careful pairing (or service for die-hard trocken fans) over the next several years. It threatened to become another 2006, said Jan Eymael of the mid-September, 2008 rain, but even in the warmest parts of the Pfalz the weather stayed relatively cool, and he did not pick the first Rieslings until September 30, then continuing off and on for three weeks. The later it got, the better the grapes became, comments Eymael. Another month on the vine allowed for the November 18 picking of two magnificent nobly sweet Scheureben.Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 596-9463