Informed by essentially the same parcels as their 2008 rendition, the Emrich-Schonleber 2009 Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling trocken smells pungently, mouth-wateringly of peat, black tea, fresh red currant, gooseberry, apple, and diverse citrus fruits and their bruised rinds. Succulent though tart-edged white peach and raw almond combine with the pungent aforementioned cast on a rapier, firm palate, with an adhesive cling of salt, zest, and peat that leaves you helplessly licking your lips yet at the same time consummately refreshed and invigorated. This lean yet abundantly flavorful and almost electrically bright Riesling ought to perform admirably for at least the next 6-8 years. Werner and Frank Schonleber harvested through nearly the entire month of October, and noted that levels of sugar and total acidity remained fairly constant, while flavors kept improving and malic acid diminishing in favor of tartaric. Speaking of improving, it’s hard for these two vintners to much-improve their by now phenomenal batting average, but no Riesling lover is likely to suffer the least disappointment by buying bottles of Emrich-Schonleber 2009s. Especially at its dry end, this is a collection to describe which seems to call for an extended mineral vocabulary that doesn’t even exist in English or German! And in nobly sweet echelons, the small amount of Riesling the Schonlebers rendered is strikingly successful and informed by an ample if mysterious measure of sheer juiciness. About the absence of Eiswein, Frank Schonleber notes: “We had the feeling that ripeness had simply advanced too far in 2009 to justify leaving any grapes hanging in anticipation of frost.”Imported by Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also imported by Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389- 9463