2007 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese *

The one star 2007 Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese A.P. #11 - an auction cuvee - smells of lily and gardenia; is even creamier in texture than any of the other wines in this year's von Hovel collection; and mingles mango and peach with peach kernel and toasted nuts. This also displays uncanny buoyancy as well as transparency to nuances of stony, saline mineral, not to mention liquid floral nuances in its long finish. -I thought about blending these two -one star- Auslesen, each of which comes from a separate parcel,- says von Kunow, -but then I thought -they're too different, and this one went in a finer direction.-- Here the expression of botrytis is not in the least obvious. Rather, this is a classic case of ennoblement without any obvious let along smudgy fingerprints having been left behind. A glorious 25-30 future is virtually assured here. Ebernard von Kunow himself, along with many journalists, was harder his 2006 collection than was I. Still, the 2007s are more consistent; will certainly be longer-lived; and at the top end represent some of his most exhilarating and riveting wines ever. They were also picked within a relative narrow range of must weights (even allowing for considerable botrytis). -It was really just a matter of taste,- says von Kunow, -deciding what would become Kabinett, what Spatlese, and what Auslese. I did lengthy sorting in an attempt to bottle Beerenauslese, but in the end I concluded -it just isn't there.-- Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA 800 596 9463.