From the Rheingau, the Jost’s 2006 Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Spatlese was not bottled until summer, months after most of the other wines in this year’s collection. Scented with peach and vanilla, this is polished, rich and creamy on the palate, and displays saline, savory, stony meaty, and browned-butter notes that give it some of the mineral and carnal fascination of a Burgundy. The plan is to release this superbly balanced, subtly sweet, and intriguing wine late, because the Jost’s customers for Rheingau wine ordinarily don’t not want to hear about (and are convinced they do not want to drink) wine with residual sugar.
The normally dry and always steep and well-ventilated Hahn certainly enjoyed advantages in a rain-plagued vintage like 2006.
Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300