August Kesseler Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Erstes Gewachs, Rheingau, Germany

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Ripe peach and musky peony perfume scent Kesselers 2009 Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Erstes Gewachs, which richly saturates the palate, yet even at 13% alcohol manages to convey a surprising sense of lift as well as beaucoup refreshment. Lime peel and salt contribute a Margarita-like aura, while almond and peach kernel piquancy adds persistence to the finish. This should continue to offer a polished performance for at least the next 7-9 years. 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

Hints of graphite mark the nose, but this wine is tight and restrained aromatically. Green apple and citrus flavors are crisply defined and tightly focused, ending long, with mouth-tingling acids. Give it another couple of years to develop in the bottle. ——J.C.(12/1/2011)—— 90