2009 Dorsheimer Burgberg Grosses Gewachs

Distilled pit fruits, nut oils, and fruit pits along with black tea make for a high-toned aromatic display in the Diels’ 2009 Dorsheimer Burgberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs. Peat, black tea, and crushed stone lend a smoky aura as well, which persists on a juicy, invigorating palate that benefits from its slight diminution in alcohol vis-a-vis the 13% of its three fellow-Grosse Gewachse. There is an interactive resonance and intriguing depth to the enormously long finish of this subtly creamily-textured yet persistently brightly pit-fruited Riesling that promises being worth following for the better part of a decade. Caroline Diel’s 2009 collection is noteworthy not only for a range of outstanding Riesling such as has long been anticipated (though seldom bettered) at this estate, but also for a set of wines from the Pinot family – all, incidentally, now labeled with French rather than German names for their varieties – that in my estimation mark a significant up-tick in quality. That this estate has been famous in Germany for its work with Pinots ever since Armin Diel assumed charge in 1987 and began barrique vinification, I am of course well aware. But only in recent years have I witnessed tendencies to restrain the influence of new wood and to encourage real subtlety, which seem to me prerequisites for achieving with these varieties anything remotely approaching the class of Schlossgut Diel’s Rieslings. The 2009 Pinots were harvested in mid-October and most of the Rieslings in the two weeks following. The superb botrytis selections were all picked-out ahead of even the Pinots. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300