The Mann 2007 Pinot Gris Altenbourg Vendange Tardive incorporates an initial picking for S.G.N., and the finished wine harbors more than 100 grams of residual sugar, yet possesses a brightness and density that keep it from being swamped by its sweetness. Quince preserves, butterscotch, and brown spices more intense than from any Gewurztraminer within my recollection are themes this wine pursues with single-minded of not the most complex intensity, through to a finish of memorable persistence. Give this a decade or more and it may well reveal further facets. To say that Maurice and Jacky Barthelme are bullish on their 2007s would be an understatement, as they seem to think that this is their best collection going all the way back to the wonderful 1988s with which they debuted in the U.S. (and a number of which I am still enjoying). Since they have been among those Alsace vintners most concerned with restraining sugar accretion while promoting ripe flavors, it’s understandable that they view 2007 as having been especially welcome when compared with other very recent vintages. “In September there was just enough rain; in October no rain; November was wonderful,” comments Jacky Barthelme, “so, we had time to harvest and to select.” Barthelmes were also among those growers who sold off a portion of their 2006 crop in bulk and declassified portions into generic bottlings, but the resulting bottlings are among the finest of that vintage, for which the brothers in part – unsurprisingly – credit biodynamic preparations and fruit that could be picked ripe early. My laudatory reviews of the (for this estate typically) outstanding value Mann Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes and Pinot Blanc bottlings of vintage 2007 can be found in issue 178.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

Baked apple, peach, coconut, brown spices and honey in the nose of the 2004 Pinot Gris Altenbourg Vendange Tardive lead to a rich, enveloping palate with subtle peach kernel and apple pit bitterness, subtle salinity, and pointed spice and smokiness offering some ample counterpoint to waves of honey and baked fruits. Neither this wine’s sweetness nor its alcohol become too noticeable, and it is a fine candidate for at least a decade of cellaring. In the nearly two decades since this domaine was consolidated, the Barthelme brothers – Jacky and Maurice – have maintained their position near the forefront of Alsace viticulture, farming a range of relatively far-flung and outstanding vineyards, as well as offering excellent value virtually throughout their range. The Barthelmes are especially enthusiastic about their 2004s – and with good reason – wines whose honeyed richness and generosity of fruit sometimes make for vintage character more recognizable than that of the grape variety. The brothers believe that the strength of 2005 lies in nobly sweet wines (not all of which I have yet tasted). But when asked about what it was like to optimize these vintages, Maurice Barthelme gestured to his increasingly bald head! The brothers are very conscious of the need to promote ripeness while inhibiting sugar-retention and hard at work experimenting with ways (including certain bio-dynamic practices) they think might solve this arguably definitive wine growing dilemma of our time. (Inexplicably, Barthelmes did not sample me on their Riesling from the Rosenberg, and I apologize for having realized this omission too late to remedy it.) The Barthelme brothers have continued a serious passion for Pinot Noir, their parcels in the Hengst having been joined by a tiny plot of forty year old vines in Eguisheim’s Pfersigberg and one recent planting elsewhere. Wines from both of these new plots were promisingly concentrated and fresh-fruited in 2005, although somewhat over-burdened (at least at this early stage) by their respective loads of wood.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

This is concentrated, yet lively, with caramel, pear and preserved lemon flavors. Balanced and supple, it echoes caramel and lemon candy on the finish. This would be tasty with foie gras. Drink now through 2012. 50 cases imported.??–BS??Region: France / Alsace Select to Add