Weingut Ratzenberger Steeger St. Jost Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Mittelrhein, Germany

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The latest installment of another perpetual Ratzenberger bargain, their 2008 Steeger St. Jost Kabinett halbtrocken leads with zesty pungency that presages the juicy freshness of orange, lemon, and apple it refreshingly deploys on the palate. There is a suffusion of what can only in my experience be likened to shrimp shell reduction, with a saline savor that will have you licking your lightly sizzling lips impulsively after you swallow. As with others of the best Mittelrhein Rieslings – not just chez Ratzenberger – this combines a palpable sense of extract or stuffing with levity and vivacity. Its only weakness is temporary, I’m confident, namely a slight sweet-sour finishing bifurcation thanks to the aggressive acids of the vintage. Plan on employing this versatile Riesling at table over the next 8-10 years. Having suggested this, I should point out that similarly-finished Ratzenberger wines from much weaker vintages have often tasted snappy and invigorating at closer to two decades’ age. When you taste a collection like this year’s from the two Jochen Ratzenbergers, you have to wonder why their wines’ consistent quality; track record for aging; and frequently stellar performances do not make this one of the most talked-about estates in Germany. (Maybe I shouldn’t wish that on us!) In fact, they are quite well-respected at home, but I think there is a certain snobbishness that rebounds against even the best Mittelrhein Riesling because this region’s precious half-timbered villages and crenellated slopes spell “tourist country” to most German wine lovers.Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644