The 2009 Rose de Diel represents a welcome and dramatic bounce-back in quality for this pink Pinot Noir, once again not legally trocken, but this year – at 10-11 grams of fruit-supportive residual sugar – essentially dry-tasting. Hazelnut and almond mingle with tart-edged red fruits and fresh lime in what I could easily imagine being a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. The balance of richness with levity and refreshment here is quite seductive. While I have no experience with aging this cuvee, I anticipate that it will be best enjoyed over the next 12-18 months. Caroline Diel’s 2009 collection is noteworthy not only for a range of outstanding Riesling such as has long been anticipated (though seldom bettered) at this estate, but also for a set of wines from the Pinot family – all, incidentally, now labeled with French rather than German names for their varieties – that in my estimation mark a significant up-tick in quality. That this estate has been famous in Germany for its work with Pinots ever since Armin Diel assumed charge in 1987 and began barrique vinification, I am of course well aware. But only in recent years have I witnessed tendencies to restrain the influence of new wood and to encourage real subtlety, which seem to me prerequisites for achieving with these varieties anything remotely approaching the class of Schlossgut Diel’s Rieslings. The 2009 Pinots were harvested in mid-October and most of the Rieslings in the two weeks following. The superb botrytis selections were all picked-out ahead of even the Pinots.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300