Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Qba, Mosel, Germany

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Although Reh strives to insure that her intended top dry wines achieve – or are blended to arrive at – the trocken imprimatur required for Grosses Gewachs, her 2008 Piesporter Goldtropchen Riesling represents a lot that stopped one gram shy of the requisite 9 gram threshold. Site-typical black currant and tropical fruit hints inform the nose and a palate whose amplitude is more impressive than its focus or refreshment. But this is impressively silken and refined in texture; displays a sense of buoyancy; and its combination of almond paste, grapefruit zest, and salt make for a satisfyingly bittersweet finish. I’d plan to enjoy it over the next 5-7 years, but wine in this format is new enough here that one (or at least I) cannot really speak of a significant track record. Annegret Reh’s 2008s display their acids somewhat more prominently than did her 2007s. While for the second year running neither alcoholic heat nor roughness were an impediment to her penchant for dry Grosse Gewachse, this did not mean that the trocken end of the spectrum here was always that ideally-balanced, as there was not only tartness but considerable bitterness to deal with as well. This enormous estate has made great strides, but I think that stylistically they could be more sensitive to the message of their terrific vineyards, at least to the extent that their customer base allows (since the Germans demand of them trocken). In my view, Reh’s move toward more flexibility with and a wider range of residual sugar in the off-dry half of the Kesselstatt portfolio, especially Kabinett, is an excellent step in that direction, but “Grosse Gewachse” of 10-15 grams residual sugar would be an even better one! Incidentally, machine harvesters (first used here, as at many top-notch German estates, in the hectic 2006 vintage) were employed this year in some of the more accessible and less distinguished sites in order to buy time for the entire crop to hang longer, although even so, picking began in mid-October, and concluded November 8.Various importers including: P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424