Effuse aromas of grapefruit, pineapple, musk melon, and strawberry on the nose of Jost’s 2007 Bacharacher Hahn Riesling Spatlese lead to a palate that offers the same generosity and lift as the corresponding Kabinett, but a flatteringly creamy texture. Here too, a strikingly saline, stony, alkaline amalgam makes for a big mineral statement, less present in the nose, but full-blown in the finish, accompanying a great rush of ripe fruit and a hint of botrytis-engendered honey. Expect this to remain fresh – and probably to gain nuance – for 15-20 years. The 2007 vintage was immensely satisfying for the Josts, combining as it did high must weights (but less so than in most recent vintages); ripe acid-retention; ample precipitation (for a flagship site so notoriously dry that it is among the very few in Germany to have been approved decades ago for drip lines); perfect botrytis; and a bumper crop (after several straight years of penury). All of that noted, I was still marginally disappointed by this year’s dry wines. I cannot help but wonder whether the Hahn simply promotes too much sugar in its Riesling grapes for ideal balance at legal Trockenheit. Peter Jost continues to follow a distinctive approach to nobly sweet success – honed only over the past several years – of rigorously removing and discarding in September any botrytis that might not later at harvest be distinguishable from fresh botrytis, and of favoring lower residual sugar and correspondingly higher alcohol in the finished wines than is nowadays fashionable.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300