Sparr’s 2005 Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive smells of spice-studded orange and honey, covers the palate in plush, rich, subtly oily folds of fruit, and manages to contain its high residual sugar in a finish of satisfying length and strong spice. (Several botrytis cuvees I tasted at this address were simply overridingly sweet.)The enormous acreage controlled by the Sparr family – supplemented by purchased grapes, and since 2005 by the acquisition of Riquewihr’s Domaine Baumann as well – makes them among the commercially most important wineries in Alsace. Qualitatively, the extended selection of recent releases that I tasted here were a mixed bag, but only the best of them rose to the level of wholehearted recommendation. That number, incidentally, included several of the sparkling cuvees for which they are well known. The characteristic still wine here is soft, rich, slightly sweet, and often a bit loose and diffuse. Vintages 2004 and 2005 – with their frequent botryits component – are no doubt not the easiest for working in such a style.Importer: William Deutsch & Son Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463