The 2006 Haardter Burgergarten Riesling Spatlese trocken mingles lemon oil, white grapefruit rind, pungent herbs, and wood smoke in the nose. Oily in texture and slightly bitter in its citrus rind concentration, this dense wine certainly wears its extract on its sleeve and features a long, penetrating, pungent, but for now at least, slightly austere and bitter finish. There is no overt heat present, and the flavors are clear, so while I suspect that relatively high alcohol and incipient botrytis contribute to its austerity this should be worth holding and revisiting in a few years.
Muller-Catoir’s vineyards were twice ravaged by hail, so a small harvest was guaranteed even before the roller-coaster of 2006 temperatures and precipitation was taken into account. Martin Franzen followed the long-standing tradition at this address of labor-intensive green harvest, selectivity, and unwillingness to compromise, in this case in the face of rapidly encroaching botrytis that – as he readily admits – rapdily turned ignoble. The upshot is a largely successful collection, much-reduced number, generally late-assembled but early (March)-bottled.
Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300.