2011 Bernkasteler Doctor Spatlese

The ostensibly least of three 2011 Spatlesen from this site, Thanisch’s 2011 Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese A.P. #7 leads with ripe musk melon, quince and pear wreathed in heady gardenia perfume, but also slightly shrouded in yeasty fermentative haze. Fusil, alkaline and wet stone intimations along with suggestions of herbal liqueur add further aromatic intrigue and enticement. Soothing and expansive yet buoyant as well as subtly stimulating thanks to CO2, ginger and fruit skin impingement, this finishes with a spiced jelly character and – like its Kabinett counterpart – considerably more liveliness and interplay than I had anticipated given its site, its vintage, and its mid-palate impression. I would plan to follow this through at least 2028. Sofia Thanisch picked during the first three weeks of October in 2011. Most of the Auslese was selected early and there was not, she relates, much difference in picking date separating Kabinett and Spatlese. “We were as shocked by the low acidity as we had been by how high the acids were in 2010,” notes Thanisch, but, in fact, neither proved to be a significant handicap. Various importers, including P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424