The Kesseler 2009 Spatburgunder Rose – representing bleeding of the fermentations from various lots of Assmannshauser Holle – smells almost like a Pinot-Riesling blend with its meld of apple and cherry, musk melon and leather. Given this wines 13% alcohol, it probably made sense to stop it with a bit of sweetness, but that move – taken together with a lactic cast – doesnt leave a whole lot of room for refreshment. Still, this is certainly fruitful, attractively silken in texture, and its hint of finishing salinity offers some saliva stimulation. 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