Malat’s 2006 Pinot Blanc Trockenbeerenauslese, tasted from its new Alliers barrique, is not at all excessively oaky. Candied lemon and orange peel, lanolin, brown spices, vanilla and caramel in the nose set the stage for a sumptuously rich, yet still fresh-fruited, palate. Caramel, nougat, honey and orange marmalade pack the palate, but far from being a showy or obvious wine, this reveals further nuances with each sip. There is no reason to believe it will diminish in interest and sensual generosity for at least a decade. By the way, Malat’s traditional method sparkling Brut – composed of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris – continues to be among the most interesting such wines in Austria, offering generous primary fruit along with leesy and mineral complications, and silky refinement of texture. Like many growers along the Danube, Gerard Malat began harvesting already in mid-September to insure some light-weight wines appropriate to summer, 2008 consumption, and finished at the end of October. From three sites in the Hohlgraben,Importers: Morandell Imports, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (310) 328-5010 and Rosalie Sendelbach Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 260-1870.