Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett

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At only 7% alcohol, Vollenweider's 2008 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett is predictably high in residual sugar. But the ultra-bright character of the vintage at this address renders the sweetness only moderate and highly supportive of the lime, kiwi, and green plum flavors, while the low alcohol helps render the wine almost weightless. Suggestions of mint and lavender combine with lime peel for a pungent, invigorating, and tactile finish perfectly balanced by sweetness. Wire this properly and it seems as though it should turn on a light bulb. I can't wait to see what happens over the next decade when (or is that -if-?) this settles down. Half of this wine, incidentally, was bottled as A.P. #1 with cork closure and half as A.P. #2 with screwcap. Given the premium Daniel Vollenweider puts on delicacy and vivacity as hallmarks of Middle Mosel Riesling, it is easy to see why he is pleased with the character of his 2008s, although in the dry echelons these wines are apt to strike many tasters as too marked by their acidity.Importers include Vineyard Research, Inc., Lunenburg, MA; tel. 617 686 8052; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR; tel. 888 274 4312; A Bill Mayer Age of Riesling Selection Imported by Valley View Wine Sales, Glen Ellen, CA; tel. (510) 549 2444

Vollenweider’s 2006 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett is loaded with CO2 and youthful yeastiness, along with floral perfume and ripe peach and apple. Lemony brightness keeps its improbable 60 grams or residual residual sugar largely at bay. For all of its sugar, the alcohol is a (for the genre) relatively high but for the vintage typical 9%. And yet, there is genuine delicacy along with a satiny texture and a perfumed finish. Drink this at around age 5-10, but it is delightful now if you have a sweet tooth. “We started picking immediately after the October 3rd rain, and then under high pressure,” relates Daniel Vollenweider. Already then, there was little to be harvested below Auslese, not surprising considering the general trends this vintage and the fact that Vollenweider, as a friend to botryits in normal times, never sprays to keep it at bay. But in a departure from the norm, one cask had reached ten grams of residual sugar by the end of last summer and Vollenweider decided he might as well taste what a truly dry Wolfer Goldgrube Spatlese would be like! (I have not connected with the bottled wine.) A second major vineyard reclamation project in the Schimbock – a once-renowed riverside parcel within today’s Trabener Wurzgarten – is where Vollenweider intends to specialize in dry Riesling.Importer: Vineyard Research, Inc., Lunenburg, MA tel. 617 686 8052; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR tel. 888 274 4312; also A Bill Mayer Age of Riesling Selection Imported by Valley View Wine Sales, Glen Ellen, CA; tel. (510) 549-2444

As in past vintages, the 2005 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett represents a pre-harvest from many vineyards, in this case during the first week in October. Pear and nectarine aromas are followed by a gentle, juicy, delicate palate, with fresh lime and pineapple reinforcing the succulence of the pear and nectarine. Subtle nut cream and wet stone suggestions add lovely complexity and the finish practically guarantees the desire for another sip. Vollenweider’s basic 2005 Spatlese represents a blend of three lots, one of which suffered from significant reduction, rendering the youthful finished wine too difficult to judge. Importer: Vineyard Research, Inc., Lunenburg, MA; tel. (617) 686-8052; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR; tel. (888) 274-4312; Old Vine Imports, San Francisco, CA

Vollenweider did a pre-selection on all of his parcels and then vinified the collective results as 2004 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett. This wine displays a beautifully pure apple and nectarine aroma. In the mouth, subtle creaminess of texture compliments luscious, bright and bell-clear fruit of a sort scarcely possible outside of realms of slate. The finish is ravishingly long and refined, with apple, lemon, white peach, and nectarine, as well as hints of herbs, flowers, and spices that may blossom into further complexity with time. Still, I find this wine irresistible right now, although, interestingly, Vollenweider confesses to finding it marginally under-ripe! Importers: Vineyard Research, Inc., Wellesley, MA; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR; Old Vine Imports, San Francisco, CA.