August Kesseler Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Beerenauslese, Rheingau, Germany

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“Many Trockenbeerenauslesen were harvested this year,” quips Kesseler, “but only one was chosen for bottling” – as 2006 Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Beerenauslese. Honey, glazed pineapple, cherry preserves, and marzipan are featured in this oily-rich, almost fat and almost overwhelmingly sweet elixir. Purity, refinement, and sheer length are not to be denied, nor can there thus be any doubt about this wine’s exceptional quality. But one will have to count on waiting more than a decade even to gain a better view of what lies behind its baby fat and sweetness, and I am sure that it will still taste nobly sweet in thirty years. Kesseler suffered a 50% loss in crop from his long-term average, but ruthless selectivity on top of his usual low yields paid dividends in quality albeit at the price of prominent sweetness. Kesseler attempted neither a Kabinett, nor (insisting that botrytis and alcohol would have been too evident) did he essay any dry wines from his estate holdings in Rudesheim. The 2005 vintage reds – bottled in mid-2007 – have fulfilled their excellent promise. Needless to say, from these steep stone sites, and cropped at the levels requisite for top quality, Kesseler Pinot Noirs do not come cheap. But they certainly invite comparison with red Burgundies selling for comparable prices. And while they are all very ripe, none of these 2005s betray their alcohol in bitterness or heat.Various importers including: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA tel. 800 362 4420; Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389-9463; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland, OR; tel. (503) 236-9370

A luscious BA, nectarlike yet well-balanced by tangy acidity, setting the stage for clean, pure flavors of apricot and honey. Lovely finish, too. Drink now through 2009. 40 cases made.??–BS??Region: Germany / Rheingau Select to Add