The Kessler 2009 Silvaner-Riesling displays luscious apricot and pineapple tinged with oregano, lemon grass, and salt, and seemingly underlain by wet stone. There is a striking sense of transparency to mineral underpinnings as well as of lift to the long juicy finish that is further accented by bitter hints of melon rind. This (as often) sensational value whose like one has to scour the world of wine to find elsewhere (Muscadet, anyone?) should be enjoyed within 2-3 years. (Beginning with the present vintage, the label on this for most Americans unfamiliar as well as recession-beating blend is the same as that of the estates other wines.) August Kesseler and his cellarmaster Max Himstedt promise great things from their 2009 Pinot Noirs but they were not yet ready to show them last September. In light of that allegedly outstanding quality as well as of the difficult market, they decided that their 2008 collection in red should culminate at the Cuvee Max quality level and not include vineyard-designated bottlings. In his usual conservative and market-sensitive approach, Kesseler also elected to bottle from 2009 one of his smallest Riesling collections in memory, inter alia forgoing any attempt to capture what little botrytis was present. Irrigation was critical during the late summer drought, insists Kesseler, “otherwise, we would have harvested grapes in the Rudesheimer Berg of only 80 or 85 Oechsle.”Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
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