Weighing in at 14% alcohol and only nine grams of residual sugar that do not come-off as sweet, the Albert Mann 2011 Pinot Gris Rosenberg was picked at the end of September. Soft and expansive on the palate, its scents and flavors of ripe peach are tinged with tobacco and green herbs, leading to an understated and satisfyingly juicy but only modestly persistent finish. I would plan to enjoy it by 2016. The Barthelmes were out picking Riesling already very soon after mid-September of 2011, and as Jacky Barthelme relates and the bottled results testify, “the skins were already ripe by then. And we picked one lot at only 12% potential alcohol. The vines were under no stress this year so their ripening cycle was finished early.” He adds that the vines weren’t hedged during the summer, an approach that is gaining support among growers internationally, not to mention support from the results I have tasted. Light pressing in small lots and minimal settling were parts of the crush regimen that may have helped in achieving some of the most refined, elegant, texturally alluring Rieslings I witnessed from this vintage. In some instances, the Mann 2010s were harvested at higher must weights than their 2011s, a function at least in part of low yields coupled with the need to let the fruit hang to moderate acidity and achieve ripe flavors. Despite the usual profusion of nobly sweet bottlings at this address, there happened to be only a single wine from either vintage that the Barthelmes chose to declare as V.T. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

Dry and tangy, this is well-balanced, with a smoky undertow and subtle notes of melon rind, green plum, anise and poached pear. Silky in texture, with a moderate, lightly briny finish. Drink now through 2018. 100 cases imported.??–AN??Region: France / Alsace Select to Add