2009 Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Kabinett

Another residually sweet Donnhoff Riesling so deftly balanced that it comes off as almost dry-tasting, his 2009 Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett delivers aromas and flavors of pear, mirabelle, quince, iris, smoky black tea, and a maritime mingling of mineral elements that has me salivating uncontrollably, tongue aquiver. Donnhoff has really found his grove with this wine I think, its 10% alcohol serving for a striking sense of levity yet, as noted, preserving the merest hint of perfectly-placed sweetness. He plans to harvest this site early enough in future vintages, too, to achieve this sort of balance, rather than rendering yet another outstanding and more overtly sweet Spatlese from this site, as he knows he could. "And of course," he points out, "at least until the late 1980s, this Kabinett would have counted as a Spatlese." I'd tentatively plan on this sensational value performing brilliantly for 12-15 years. "In a great vintage with good weather this prolonged," remarks Helmut Donnhoff of 2009, only half in humor, "the only time limit to harvest is that set by the wild boar." And most of the excitement here this year - including the remarkable range of Spatlesen and the botrytis selections - was generated from a single week's picking in early November. "It's a year of the naked wine," adds Donnhoff, pointing to what he perceives as the stark portrayal of vineyard typicity that runs through his entire 2009 collection. His recent arrangement with the new Gut Hermannsberg (whose origins and inaugural vintage are canvassed elsewhere in this report) has taken Schlossbockelheimer Kupfergrube out of Helmut Donnhoff's line-up, while he has roughly doubled the surface area in the Hermannshohle under his control (to nearly 10 acres, or roughly half the Einzellage). The suggested retail prices I received from Donnhoff's importer represented significant price reductions vis-a-vis the last two years - and prices on the estate's private customer list have remained virtually unchanged for several years - adding yet another reason to seek them out. "I want to offer my customers good value," remarks Donnhoff with, in my view, considerable understatement, "and I'm proud of the fact that nobody in the trade who has bought from me has lost money reselling my wine." Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300