Enticing scents of elder flower and orange blossom greet you from a glass of St. Urbans-Hof 2008 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spatlese, which then offers a delicate and refreshing meld of apple and citrus transparent to saline and stony nuances. This outstanding value and energetic expression of its site and vintage wicks-away 60 grams of residual sugar so that it tastes only subtly sweet, offering a fine example of the almost miraculous workings of a really well-tuned, low-alcohol Saar (or Mosel) Riesling, and one apt to remain delightful for two decades. Sankt Urbans-Hof, notes proprietor Nik Weis, experienced a good ten degrees Oechsle difference in 2008 between its ripest Saar fruit – bottled as Spatlese – and that of the Mosel, which reached Auslese level even without stringent selection of botrytis fruit. “We find this a terrific vintage,” remarks Weis – who compares its style with 1998 – “inasmuch as at long last we again have the clear differentiation between Kabinett as it should be, Spatlese, and ennobled Auslese.” Remarkably, there is only a single trocken bottling here this year (from Mehring) which I did not taste and which was destined for the Landhaus Sankt Urban restaurant of Weis’s sister and brother-in-law.Importer: H. B. Wine Merchants, New York, NY; tel. (917)-402-0456

This is refined, with flavors of peach, lime, mineral and a mix of savory herbs. Delicate yet vivid on the palate, with vibrant acidity driving the finish. There's a hint of vanilla on the aftertaste. Best from 2012 through 2022. 200 cases made, 150 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add

A less fruity take, with mineral and kerosene dominating the nose and a wet slate thread running through the exquisitely crisp palate. Spring flowers and honey notes soften up the finish. Try with Thai noodles. ——W.E.(6/1/2010)—— 88