Mint, sage, narcissus, orange blossom, smoky black tea and apricot on the nose of Messmer’s 2008 Muskateller feinherb lead to a frisky, invigorating palate full of bittersweet, zesty pungency and smokiness, with its barely noticeable sweetness nicely balancing the wine’s juicy fresh lime matrix and supporting the notes of apricot and orange. A hint of salt in the finish perfectly fits the enticing and lip-smacking satisfaction of the whole. This will serve over at least the next 3-4 years as a delicious and excellent value demonstration of how versatile is this grape, from this place (or nearby Alsace), and in this style. It had been too long since I’d seen Gregor Messmer (although I am at his winery annually) and I was encouraged by witnessing him professing his rededication to his vineyards. That said, after a 2007 collection that was the best I had tasted here in a number of years, I found that some of these 2008s – which were harvested between the 18th and 30th of October – leaned rather sharply in the direction of leanness and Sauvignon greenness and shared with many of their fellow Pfalz trocken Rieslings an extremely tart brightness.Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Sage, mint, and juicy honeydew melon inform the Messmer 2006 Muskateller Kabinett feinherb, a wine whose 17 grams of residual sugar are barely discernable. Without the pungency or overt citricity more common with this variety, it offers a softer than usual, simple but distinctive, highly satisfying, and versatile wine for enjoying over the next 3-5 years.Following a highly successful collection in 2005, the Messmers struggled like so many of their neighbors with conditions in 2006. They added pickers and managed to bring in the crop in only two weeks.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300