2010 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Beerenauslese

Prickly pungency and brightness of lime peel and horseradish lend the 2010 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Beerenauslese an Eiswein-like aura. At the same time, impression of honeydew melon liqueur, Chartreuse-like herbal essence, white peach nectar, quince jelly, and white raisin on a viscous, expansive palate bespeak both the Ruwer and rare purity of botrytis. Energy conveyed by fresh citrus and a sense of insistent pungency - reinforced by a bite of fresh ginger - are ideal foils for the ennobled, rich side of this radiant Riesling, collaborating in surprising harmony for a multi-layered, vibratory finish. Given the unusual extent - among nobly sweet 2010s - to which the pieces here already fit together friction-free, I foresee a good four decades of delightful, thoughtful sipping. Unlike this year's Auslesen, incidentally, this wine - along with its T.B.A. and Eiswein siblings - was vinified in a small tank, in this instance netting 130 half bottles. Year-by-year, proprietor Carl von Schubert and cellarmaster and vineyard manager Stefan Kraml continue to reestablish the sort of quality and reliability for which this venerable estate was a watchword through most of the late 20th century. They still have some way to go, but it is important to emphasize that the style associated with all but the disappointing last several years of Alphonse Heinrich's half-century tenure as cellarmaster and vineyard manager is not coming back, because that is something which could not be formulated or intuitively reconstructed and was not passed-on. For accounts of what the team here has done in the cellar in recent years as well as on the evolution of recent labeling and portfolio changes, I refer readers to earlier reports. I should add, though, that beginning with 2010 use of Pradikat terms has been entirely eliminated for dry wines. And without imputing causation, I can't help but note that the elimination of "Kabinett" has, at least this year, gone hand-in-hand with their replacement by wines lacking the clarity, focus, and infectious juiciness that characterized pre-1999 Grunhaus "trocken Kabinetts" or for that matter Q.b.A.s and Spatlesen. Late picking; extended skin contact for the dry wines; selective double-salt de-acidification of must; and prolonged lees contact with later-than-usual bottling (June for most dry wines; August for the nobly sweet) were salient features of the estate's 2010 protocol. Carl von Schubert opines that before picking concluded (well into November) levels of tartaric acid had overtaken those of malic. (Von Schubert and Kraml are considering giving their Alte Reben trocken as well as "Superior" wines yet longer stays on the lees and not releasing them until late in the year, though I doubt that this will enhance clarity or precision.) A curiosity this year is a dry Abtsberg nicknamed -Fusion- for having been matured in some of the barrels that von Schubert has of late been having Hosch craft from Grunhaus oak (a commodity that has long commanded a high price, but which von Schubert only belatedly realized had eventually been ending up being sold to French tonneliers!). Unfortunately, the idea behind -Fusion- is more intriguing than was the resinous, rather bitter reality. To be sure, though, 2010 was a challenging vintage for dry Ruwer Riesling in general, as witness the largely uninspiring trockens at Karlsmuhle and the Karthauserhof. (Though von Kesselstatt was considerably more successful in this genre; and I did not have a chance to taste Herbert Weis's von Beulwitz 2010s.) A string of (faux) "fuder"-numbered Auslesen distinguished either by picking dates or merely their fermentative courses had in common must weights over 120 Oechsle and an individuality that argued against their being further blended, so there was no "regular" 2010 Auslese. And as at the Karthauserhof, it is scarce, remarkable nobly sweet wines for which this vintage will here long be remembered. Importer: Loosen Bros. USA Ltd. Oregon City; tel. 503-984-3041