The “one-star” 2004 Schloss Furstenberg Riesling Spatlese* trocken A.P. #17 represents one small, late-picked lot from a site near Bacharach. Aromas of toasted pumpkin seed, lemon oil and gooseberry and salted meats put one as much in mind of Sauvignon as of Riesling. In the mouth, this really has the sheer stuffing as well as rich nutty low tones (and 13% alcohol) to pull off a convincing show of its dry, high-acid and marginally green personality traits. Toasted pumpkin seeds, caraway and nut oils linger on the palate. Florian Weingart brought no Riesling in from the Bopparder Hamm under 90 degrees oechsle – a record at this estate – but the range of phenolic ripeness was much more variable than that statistic would suggest. In years gone by, Adolf Weingart would have attempted to gently de-acidify a vintage with acids like this, but his son sticks by principle and with a single exception did not touch the 2004 acids. Instead, he tried to counter any tendency toward green, aggressive acidity with time on the lees and judicious application of residual sugar. But as he points out, it didn’t help that the 2004s as a rule stubbornly held on to their CO2 after a cold winter, a condition normally viewed as favorable. Introducing some wood into the cellar is an idea for the future.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300