2009 A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Kabinett

Representing as usual the product of a “Vorlese” (“pre-harvest” picking before the main show), Adam’s 2009 Dhronhofberger Riesling Kabinett offers lusciously abundant, brown spice- and vanilla-tinged citrus and pit fruits, somehow perfectly supported by residual sugar so high (70 grams) it would have raised my eyebrows, and utterly suffused with smoky crushed stone and scallop-like savory salinity. Consummately refreshing, it’s also alluringly creamy and finishes with almost cloud-like lift and delicacy. Tell you what: let’s dispense with the aesthetic arguments and get down to a strictly animal level. I’m going to bet you that the measurable discharge of saliva under the influence of this wine is more than double that in the presence of the Grosses Gewachs. I suspect this beauty will continue to reward its owners for at least the next 15 years. Commencing October 22, Andreas Adam reports that he was able to enjoy more than two weeks’ liberty to pick his relatively small acreage, although, as mentioned in the general introduction to this report, for the sake of acidity – which approached almost ten grams in one of his finished wines! – Adam did not favor so late a harvest as did some of his colleagues. “When it came to skin contact, we backed off a bit this year,” he notes, “to at most 6-9 hours.” The resultant wines offer further proof – as if it were still needed – that here is a major Mosel talent going his unique and experimental stylistic way. (And proof too of the profound potential of the Dhroner Hofberg – after a drought of great Riesling from this site so protracted that only those who have tasted wines from the mid-’70s and earlier will be able to recollect a previous era of greatness.) The top dry wines here this year were only taken off of their fine lees in June immediately before bottling, and filtered only once. (Normally, if a German grower tells you his or her wines were “only filtered once,” that means “once … in addition to the usual filtration at bottling”!) The residually sweet wines were bottled in May. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300