It is a measure of the relative paucity of botrytis in this vintage that Hexamer’s 2009 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Auslese represents his only 2009 wine of its Pradikat. Furthermore, in character – although I won’t delve into production details so as to avoid possible controversy – this 500 liter lot is in effect an Eiswein. (The “real” Eiswein from this parcel – which also informed this year’s Kabinett – was still fermenting when I tasted the Hexamer collection in September.) Pear cider and quince preserves laced with fresh lemon, grapefruit, and brown spices make for an at once confitured and brightly refreshing impression. The high acidity acts as a spring-like source of energy without in any way diminishing the luscious, succulent impression that is conveyed all the way through to an exhilarating and invigoratingly salt-tinged finish. The alliance of textural creaminess and nerve is quite uncanny. Expect this to be worth following for at least a decade. Harald Hexamer continues to expand his acreage in response to what I can well appreciate are almost irresistible offerings, and the latest round of sell-offs by one of the Nahe’s best-known and once-renowned estates at the beginning of 2011 is I suspect going to test the limits of Hexamer’s ambition and abilities to absorb yet more vineyards. (The number of 2009 vintage wines I have had to reference with A.P. #s due to there being alternate bottlings is in itself testimony to the rapid expansion of this estate.) No one who has followed this young grower over the past decade, though, can accuse him of lacking seriousness, and he has been subjecting his stylistic ideals and his accomplishments to rigorous examination, knowing he must balance the potential value of experimentalism with the need to focus both his attention to individual wines and his stylistic range. These latest results reveal a grower increasingly sure in touch and displaying a defter sense of balance at both the dry and sweet ends of the spectrum. By a considerable margin, they constitute this estate’s most consistently excellent collection in my experience. With the exception of a couple of partial lots of generic dry Riesling, no 2009s were de-acidified, and a majority of the dry wines kicked into spontaneous fermentation, although Hexamer brought cultured yeasts to bear in order to promote dryness. Both an Eiswein and a T.B.A. from the Rheingrafenberg were still fermenting in September and I’ll have to report on those along with Hexamer’s 2010s.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
