The 2009 Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling trocken is another pronouncedly mineral Weil wine of its vintage, with salt and iodine prominently on display, along with a sense of fruit transparency similar to that of the corresponding “village” bottling. Here at last in this collections dry line-up, I find myself rewarded with some of the floral perfume I associate with Kiedrich, in this instance an inhalation of buddleia, lilac, and apple blossom that persists on a juicy palate of white peach, apple, and almond. While over 13% in alcohol, this displays a sense of animation and levity as startling as it is delightful, lingering with lip-smacking intensity and invigoration. I would anticipate 12-15 years of pleasure from this ravishing cuvee, of which there is one-third less volume than of the corresponding Erstes Gewachs. (Wilhelm Weil concurs in my intuition that this bottling will considerably outpace its Turmberg and Klosterberg counterparts, but his own estimates of longevity are double mine!) As Wilhelm Weil points out, by the time he began harvesting in early October, 2009 – sooner than has been usual under his regime – the grapes had already been hanging for 115 days, and the fact that the weather cooled thereafter and Kiedrichs hillside sites continued to enjoy regular breezes were positive factors in adding further concentration – including of acidity – to the finished wines. In consequence, he insists that “while 2007 and 2008 were very good vintages; 2009 is for our estate on a different level … among my 22 vintages, near the forefront.” Weil is now offering a range of three single-vineyard dry Rieslings in addition to his Erstes Gewachs but says his vision is of a tier of “premier crus” and one of “grand crus,” with only a single dry wine eventually being labeled “Grafenberg.” The issue is not merely academic, I would argue, but has stylistic implications. As my notes indicate, I found the style of Weils allegedly “second” dry Grafenberg from 2009 both more attractive and more recognizably of its site than the corresponding Erstes Gewachs. (For specific differences in approach consult those detailed notes.) Weil further intends to streamline his offerings by eventually reaching some sort of stylistic compromise between his generic Kabinett halbtrocken and his unabashedly sweet Kabinett (both of which characteristically come from the Wasseros), although he admits to some uncertainty about closing what is analytically-speaking a roughly 30 gram gap in residual sugar between these two. As both president of the local VDP chapter and arguably his regions most prominent grower and quality standard bearer, how Wilhelm Weil perceives and elects to act on classificatory, stylistic, and marketing issues can have considerable influence on the future evolution of Rheingau Riesling. Even the least among this years residually sweet Weil offerings is extremely high acid on paper. In most cases, this is positively enervating, although at times strident. Weil indicates that only beyond the level of Spatlese was any significant botrytis present, even then requiring extreme diligence and patience to collect even small volumes. And as in many instances this vintage, the present collections apex of quality does not coincide with its apex in must weights. Imported by Loosen Brothers, Portland, OR tel. (510) 864-7255
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