2011 Dorsheimer Burgberg Grosses Gewachs

Piquantly nutty, tartly fruit skin-tinged, and overtly stony, the Diel 2011 Dorsheimer Burgberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs shows a slightly more flattering side in its resemblance to Chablis: cherry stone seemingly steeped in fresh lemon with salted chicken and herb stock. This is another of those dry Rieslings that German’s love to compliment as “konsequent” or “puristisch” but about which I’ll be much more enthusiastic if and when it takes on greater sheer fruit generosity and loses some of its crabapple-like tartness. Still, there is impressive material and potential here to be sure, probably meriting more than a half-dozen years of patient observation. Caroline Diel is now the mother of two, but shows every intention and indication of personally staying on top of her estate’s viticulture. In collaboration with long-time cellarmaster Christoph Friedrich, she is both perpetuating and further refining the styles of wine that have come to characterize and enhance the long-standing reputation of Schlossgut Diel. Picking began in the last week of September and most of the top Rieslings were harvested already in the first week of October, by which point there was a significant amount of botrytis, happily largely noble, most of it picked-out in parallel with the fruit for the Grosse Gewachse. Wisely, I think – as heaven knows they have an austere side as is – the Diels elected for the sake of moderating alcohol to leave a bit more residual sugar behind this year than usual in their Grosse Gewachse. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300