Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett Von Der Lay

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：1405

Along with four young vintners, Schmitges was able to arrange for their acquisition of parcels from a retiree who would otherwise have simply sought the highest or most accessible single bidder, and Schmitges’ own particular spring-fed, acid-conducive, eroded red slate share of this acreage now informs his 2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett Von der Lay. Sweetly-scented and luscious peach and fig wreathed in orange blossom and honeysuckle inform a palate that as advertised by the wine’s author unites creaminess of texture with buoyancy (at 11% alcohol) and infectious refreshment. The entire performance here seems suffused with subtly smoky, fusil crushed stone and savory, crustacean shell salinity. Even at 21 grams of residual sugar and modest measurable acidity of 7.2 grams, this comes off as tasting essentially dry, so fine-tuned is its balance. I expect it will prove terrifically versatile over the next 10-12 years and probably longer. (What’s more, based on ex-cellar prices – I have not yet seen this cuvee in the U.S. – we also have here a terrific value.)“My father was going crazy in October,” says Andreas Schmitges, because contrary to normal practice “we were harvesting Monday through Thursday and then just working in the cellar or the vinotec over the weekend, all under beautiful skies, while he’s shuffling his feet and thinking ‘Hey, folks, at some point this lovely weather is going to be over.’ But our forecasters were reliable and the weather held as long as we needed,” he claimed, which in his case was until November 10. Schmitges relates that – in part under the influence of Mosel practices in a bygone era; in part based on “intensive exchange with Austrian colleagues,notably Peter Veyder-Malberg, over the last five years” – he now gives his musts destined for dry wines increasing skin contact and opportunity to oxidize before the onset of fermentations, which he allows to rise higher in temperature than is usual today on the Mosel. He also acknowledges a recognition that accumulation of degrees Oechsle can nowadays be problematic, for which reason his approach to soil management (including deep plowing and carefully-targeted greening); pruning; picking (“paying careful attention to acid-retention but also ripeness of acids”); and vinification (including spontaneous fermentation and longer lees contact) is reflecting increasing watchfulness lest wines become “too lush” or noticeably high in alcohol.Importers include: Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389-9463; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR tel. 888 274 4312; Magellan Wine Imports, Centennial, CO (720) 272-6544