2005 Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese

The “one star” 2005 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese* smells of ripe peach, orange zest, talcum, and vanilla. Ripe and rich on the palate yet shot through with refreshing citricity, this Riesling doesn’t just manage to combine creaminess of texture with freshness and clarity, it also introduces an impressive sense of sheer extract and of phenolic structure to underlie its peachy, citric fruit. High toned herbs, citrus, singed peach, and wet stones inform the wine’s formidable finish. This strikes me as a Riesling that will only reveal its full range of virtues at a slow pace and could easily be glorious as long as 30 years from now. It is also an absurdly good value. Also recommended: 2005 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett trocken ($ unknown; 85), 2005 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese trocken ($ unknown; 84). Importers include: Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA; tel. (877) 389-9463; Kerlin Wines, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 442-1136; Magellan Wine Imports, Centennial, CO; tel. (720) 272-6544