Fusil, alkaline, subtly yeasty, and fresh lime aromas rise from the glass of Ratzenberger 2009 Riesling Caspar R, whose luscious white peach backed by residual sugar enters into an attractively tense relationship with bright citricity and mineral elements on a succulently juicy palate. This finishes with lip-smacking, saliva-inducing persistence, and after the pure, practically explosive fruit finally begins to die away, a cantus firmus of wet stone remains. At only 8.5% alcohol, it is feather light, which reminds me that so few top-notch German growers outside of the Mosel are rendering wines this light they ought really to call them “Kabinett” to call attention to this. (Of course, in several regions, the local VDP now forbids the use of “Kabinett” … but don’t get me started in on that!) As the younger Jochen Ratzenberger points out, “a trocken-drinker should try this wine ten years from now.” For those of us with more catholic tastes, anytime over the next 15-20 should be perfect. (My apologies are due readers for having mis-spelled – as “Kasper” – the name of this cuvee in previous vintages.) The two Jochen Ratzenbergers began picking early in October and were done by the end of that month, with – to the extent that I could assess them – consistently fine results. The collection included only a single botrytis wine, a Wolfshohle Auslese that had received some special press recognition in Germany very early, on account of which the father-son team claimed not to have even a single bottle to show me. What was to have been this year’s Bacharacher Posten Spatlese halbtrocken resolutely stopped fermenting with 30 grams of residual sugar; and I can’t offer a note on the results, because some Swiss merchant had bought every last bottle from Ratzenbergers. The 180 liters of Ratzenberger 2009 Kloster Furstental Eiswein had not nearly finished fermenting when I tasted it, but even in its leesy, cloudy, and still-active state it was clear that this would become an impressively concentrated libation. (It started life at 210 Oechsle and at the steady fermentative tempo which it had exhibited through September, was expected to officially become wine by last Christmas – though when it would be deemed “finished” was anybody’s guess.) Speaking of which, Ratzenbergers have just taken over some additional acreage in the Kloster Furstental, which in future might result in other single-vineyard bottlings from that site. “We couldn’t take all of the acreage that was offered,” relates the younger Jochen Ratzenberger, “but we took what we could handle. We want to do our part to see that this amazing steep site remains planted.” The absence of suggested retail pricing for many Ratzenberger wines I review could, I decided, use some explanation. By arrangement with their importers – as a survey of the U.S. marketplace confirms – only their lightest-weight wines are released by the Ratzenbergers in the year following their bottling (and even then, not their sweeter Kabinett from the St. Jost). But as wines with bottle age are released, Spatlesen have tended lately to sell in the $30 retail range; Auslesen and Grosse Gewachse in the $45-50 retail range, confirming Ratzenberger Rieslings as superb values.Imported by Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644
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