The Van Volxem centenarian vines 2009 Wiltinger Gottesfuss Riesling Alte Reben as usual stands out in its collection, and for many reasons. The bouquet of iris and narcissus backed by restrained diversity of pit fruits, citrus, and nut oils is entrancing. The wine displays alluring creaminess, but also a sheer primary juiciness of peach, white raspberry, and honeydew melon that is both luscious and refreshing. Its sense of lift approaches the weightless, yet it displays a sheer richness unrivaled in the present collection. And there is a wealth of nut oil and diverse mineral elements – struck-flint pungency, smoke, crushed stone, sea breeze – that constantly realign and interact with the fruit and flowers, into a dazzlingly dynamic display. (Some of this wine's hint of smokiness, by the way, I traced to the branding on Niewodniczanski's corks – though he seemed unconvinced by my claim!) I suspect – and its author expresses confidence – that this bottling will be worth following for 20 or more years; but I also reiterate that the track record is not yet in place for the Van Volxem wines as they are being rendered today. Roman Niewodniczanski harvested off and on through the sporadic rain that hit the lower Saar in early November, but he reports that while grapes picked later looked less good, their aromas and flavors proved superior. He and cellarmaster Dominik Volk have turned out another collection of Rieslings dry-ish (but seldom legally trocken and never labeled as such) and striking in their alliance of leesy richness and amplitude with elegance and detail; a style not without controversy, but one Niewodniczanski is convinced reflects that which prevailed for the first two thirds of the 20th century, including its first decade, when the price of Saar Riesling from a top site exceeded that of a Bordeaux First Growth. "With a couple of exceptions," he notes with obvious pride, "my 2009s stayed under 12% in alcohol." Some of these were bottled just before summer and the top wines at the end of summer, a couple of weeks before my September visit. (For more on Niewodniczanski’s wine style, ambitions and methods, consult earlier reports, notably that in issue 163.) Importers include Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR tel. 888 274 4312 and Acid Inc Selections, New York, NY; tel. (817) 687 4848