One of two Kesselstatt Rieslings that in the recent evolution of this estate’s style of Kabinett has remained distinctly sweet (indeed, at 44 grams residual sugar, far distant from most of its siblings so-labeled), their 2011 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett offers scents of pineapple, grapefruit, Persian melon and mango, that translate into an effusively tropical and generously juicy, silken palate performance. Notes of nougat add to the rounded, soothing and almost extravagantly ripe impression conveyed by a lingering finish. This ought to perform beautifully through at least 2025. Annegret Reh was extremely upbeat about what she and vineyard manager-cellarmaster Wolfgang Mertes accomplished in vintage 2011, and if a Beerenauslese from Kaseler Nies’chen and Trockenbeerenauslesen from the Scharzhofberg and Josephshof that were still fermenting as of last autumn prove consistent with the quartet of nobly sweet concentrates that I already tasted, then this vintage will likely go down in estate annals above all for its upper-Pradikat beauties. Despite high average must weights, buoyancy and unobtrusive alcohol characterized most of Reh’s dry wines, as well as her estimable Kabinetts – most of which are nowadays (in what I deem an admirable departure from prevalent contemporary norms) being finishing virtually dry and thus inevitably carry analytically higher alcohol. Late-fermentors – and hence bottled in mid-summer rather than with the majority of this collection in March and April – this year’s Kesselstatt Grosse Gewachse ended up analytically almost shockingly low (upper-fives) in acidity, yet this didn’t seem to significantly handicap their performances. When it comes to this year’s Spatlesen, though, despite levels of residual sugar that aren’t analytically at all extreme, sweetness tends to dominate over refreshment or finer points, a reflection of botrytis and relatively low acidity. That must weights did not go even higher and that animation and levity generally prevail in the finished Kesselstatt 2011s may well be traceable in part (certainly Reh and Mertes, like a number of prominent growers, think so) to an exceedingly sparing and late regimen of leaf removal and in some parcels the complete absence of hedging. Picking began in the last days of September (a first in estate history) though initially only to cull botrytis, and an especially large crew repeatedly revisited most sites, finishing on October 25. Various importers including P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424

Rich, filled with luscious pastry and apple compote flavors that are accented by hints of lemon thyme. Cream and spice fill the custardy finish. Drink now through 2024. 2,000 cases made.??–KM??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add