Andi Kollwentz considers his 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Trockenbeerenauslese one of the best nobly sweet wines of recent years (and it is also the most striking I have tasted here from this grape). “This was a case of absolutely pure botrytis,” he says, “no other sorts of rot or fungus were present.” The results are certainly ultra-refined and polished, like a liqueur of Sauvignon. Black currant, peppermint and lime and grapefruit candy remind one of the corresponding Scheurebe, but here there is a creaminess, buttery texture, subtle vanilla, caramel, and honey inflections, and mysteriously hidden springs of fresh fruit vivacity that keep the long finish from being in the least syrupy or tiring. This should be fascinating to follow for well more than a decade. Too bad there was only one tiny new 175 liter barrel.The Kollwentzes – Andi and father Anton Kollwenz – produce some of Austria’s most celebrated and expensive wines, and one would be hard-pressed to find two more conscientious or engaging vintners with whom to discuss their craft. I continue however to take highly variable satisfaction in the wines at this address, their reds and their single-vineyard Chardonnays often striking me as a bit stiff and overly-oaky, whereas the purity and longevity of their nobly sweet wines consistently impress, and I find their Sauvignon one of the world’s best (albeit little known outside Austria).Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700