Crisp and refined, with sinewy white fruit flavors that are accented by smoky notes. Steely finish features hints of pine and tarragon. Drink now through 2016. 650 cases made.??–KM??Region: Germany / Nahe Select to Add

The Schonleber 2010 Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling trocken boasts a terrific nose of lime, grapefruit, fresh red raspberry and cress. Subtly seductive creaminess cohabitates on the palate with juicy citrus and invigorating impingements of zest, tart seeds, and faintly peppery cress, while saliva-liberating salinity and rich underlying suggestions of nut oil add further splendor to a sustained and vibrant finish. As is often, happily, the case at this address, the dry, non-Grosses Gewachs rendition of a great site is delightful and riveting in its own way, not to mention distinctively site-specific. (Bear in mind thought that such bottlings, being widely and superciliously condemned as “competition” to a grower’s Grosses Gewachs and therefore bad marketing, aren’t even permitted by the regulations that govern most regional chapters of the VDP.) Expect the glow here to last for a good decade. ”Look, the acid levels were almost this high in 1994 – though with much higher yields,” relates Werner Schonleber of 2010, “and yet 1994 was probably my most individual year of the 1990s,” a judgment in which, incidentally, I concur. Musts of extremely high acidity (a couple had pHs under 3.0) were de-acidified – “very cautiously,” notes Frank Schonleber, “l(fā)eaving plenty of leeway in case one or the other went into malo,” which several Riesling lots spontaneously followed the lead of the estate’s Pinots in doing. Despite high levels of potassium (not to mention, of course, tartaric acid) and a cold winter, there was relatively little precipitation of tartrates at this address. Early picking of the Schonlebers’ Auf der Lay parcel, already with significant botrytis, militated against there being an “A.de.L” bottling this year such as had been essayed – exclusively in magnum – in the two preceding vintages. This is really a year, chez Schonlebers, for Fruhlingsplatzchen as a site to shine, though neither they nor I can offer a hypothesis. Regarding the gap or jump in this year’s line-up from “regular” (though in fact, fantastic) Auslesen to Eiswein, Werner Schonleber commented that given the quality and the paucity of fruit available, “Attempts to segregate a gold capsule Auslese were going to make for (“regular”)Auslese in which something was missing. And we scarcely thought ourselves capable of a Beerenauslese this vintage; the attempt wouldn’t have gone well. We had lovely botrytis, but by no means such concentrated berries.”Imported by Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also imported by Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389- 9463

Informed by essentially the same parcels as their 2008 rendition, the Emrich-Schonleber 2009 Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling trocken smells pungently, mouth-wateringly of peat, black tea, fresh red currant, gooseberry, apple, and diverse citrus fruits and their bruised rinds. Succulent though tart-edged white peach and raw almond combine with the pungent aforementioned cast on a rapier, firm palate, with an adhesive cling of salt, zest, and peat that leaves you helplessly licking your lips yet at the same time consummately refreshed and invigorated. This lean yet abundantly flavorful and almost electrically bright Riesling ought to perform admirably for at least the next 6-8 years. Werner and Frank Schonleber harvested through nearly the entire month of October, and noted that levels of sugar and total acidity remained fairly constant, while flavors kept improving and malic acid diminishing in favor of tartaric. Speaking of improving, it’s hard for these two vintners to much-improve their by now phenomenal batting average, but no Riesling lover is likely to suffer the least disappointment by buying bottles of Emrich-Schonleber 2009s. Especially at its dry end, this is a collection to describe which seems to call for an extended mineral vocabulary that doesn’t even exist in English or German! And in nobly sweet echelons, the small amount of Riesling the Schonlebers rendered is strikingly successful and informed by an ample if mysterious measure of sheer juiciness. About the absence of Eiswein, Frank Schonleber notes: “We had the feeling that ripeness had simply advanced too far in 2009 to justify leaving any grapes hanging in anticipation of frost.”Imported by Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also imported by Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389- 9463