2004 Riesling Zobinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben

From a cool vintage, picked very late and bottled with 15% alcohol, the golden colored 2004 Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben displays a deep, rich and intense bouquet with ripe and concentrated fruit aromas along with some (acceptable!) flavors of burnt rubber and natural butter milk. Full-bodied, pure and elegant on the palate, this is an intense, powerful and firmly structured Heilgenstein with a firm tannin grip and a long, salty and aromatic finish. Although this is a monster Heilgenstein in terms of alcohol, structure and dimension, it is a great one in terms of vintage and terroir expression. This is a unique Riesling that does not lose its purity, vitality and tension. Big and more astringent than the more elegant (and sweet) 1994, but fascinating as well. Tasted in March 2017. When tasted again in June, the wine showed a clear but intense and concentrated nose; it was rich, dense and powerful but also well structured by fine tannins. The finish was powerful and intense—the wine still young and vital.