Weighing in at barely 11% alcohol, Kerpen's 2008 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett trocken smells of apple blossom, brown spices; offers a juicy, buoyant palate rendered more invigorating by hints of salt, smoke, and the chew of apple skin; and finishes with Mosel-typical intimations of wet stone. Adeptly balanced for a truly dry yet light Riesling, it will prove versatile and delicious over the next several years. In recent years, Martin Kerpen has increasingly proven himself a master of dry Riesling, and the acid structure and relatively moderate accumulation of grape sugar relative to phenolic ripeness that characterize 2008 played into his skilled hand in that genre, in which, additionally, he relied increasingly this year on ambient yeasts. (Of course, he is adept with residually sweet Riesling as well.) it's interesting to study Kerpen's detailed map of vineyard parcels, incidentally, and to see how after the controversial Flurbereinigung or general vineyard restructuring and replanting that is now under way in Wehlen, he will end up with around 8-9 parcels - some identical to his current acreage - or about half the number into which his total landholdings are morsellated at present.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300