From a site that is really an extension of Riquewihr’s great Schoenenbourg, Bott’s 2004 Riesling Kronenbourg features an oily texture, bright acids, chalky minerality, and the bitterness of peach kernel, although here there is more flesh of the peaches than in the Grafenreben. Some of the oily texture and faint bitterness is due to botrytis, and I wonder whether additional time in the bottle makes sense, or whether the botrytis will make inroads on what sappy fruit concentration is presently in the finish. Young Jean-Christophe Bott is passionate about quality and unafraid to make sacrifices on its behalf. He has adopted a biodynamic regimen in the vineyards and is now holding most of his wines 6-24 months in bottle before release. Clarity and cleanliness run through all of these, and it is encouraging to taste so many Riesling that are uncompromisingly dry (although occasionally bitterness or alcohol intrude). Bott feels capable of encouraging dryness and balance in various ways in the vineyard and the cellar without ever intervening in or attempting to re-start sluggish fermentations. By no means all of the wines I tasted displayed strong personalities, but many of them gave reason to believe – as does Bott’s articulate advocacy – that this will be one of the more talked-about Alsace domains of the coming decade. Given the challenges that so many of his fellow-growers recorded with this variety in 2004, his success in bringing Gewurztraminer to subtly-ennobled ripeness in that vintage – while taking advantage of higher than usual acidities – is especially noteworthy.Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
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