A lovely and attention-getting nose of fresh lime wreathed in lavender, thyme, buddleia and lemon verbena from the Mann 2010 Riesling Schlossberg leads to a bright, polished and correspondingly complex and alluring palate impression. The dry finish here positively shimmers in its suggestion of crystallized mineral impingement and fruit-flower-herb interaction, with a pungent suffusion of green tea, undertone of wet stone and saliva-drawing acidity adding to the impressive appeal on tap here now and no doubt through at least 2030. The Barthelmes were out picking Riesling already very soon after mid-September of 2011, and as Jacky Barthelme relates and the bottled results testify, “the skins were already ripe by then. And we picked one lot at only 12% potential alcohol. The vines were under no stress this year so their ripening cycle was finished early.” He adds that the vines weren’t hedged during the summer, an approach that is gaining support among growers internationally, not to mention support from the results I have tasted. Light pressing in small lots and minimal settling were parts of the crush regimen that may have helped in achieving some of the most refined, elegant, texturally alluring Rieslings I witnessed from this vintage. In some instances, the Mann 2010s were harvested at higher must weights than their 2011s, a function at least in part of low yields coupled with the need to let the fruit hang to moderate acidity and achieve ripe flavors. Despite the usual profusion of nobly sweet bottlings at this address, there happened to be only a single wine from either vintage that the Barthelmes chose to declare as V.T. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800