Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Halbtrocken

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：3703

“This came from a portion of the Eisendell that I had in mind for a dry wine,” notes Hexamer of his 2009 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling halbtrocken, “but at some point the wine just wouldn’t go any further.” Subtle floral perfume and salt-tinged pit and citrus fruits inform this soothing yet also refreshing and essentially dry-tasting Riesling which, however, lacks the focus or mineral interactivity I find in the best wines from this estate. Still, it ought to prove deliciously versatile over at least the next 3-4 years. Harald Hexamer continues to expand his acreage in response to what I can well appreciate are almost irresistible offerings, and the latest round of sell-offs by one of the Nahe’s best-known and once-renowned estates at the beginning of 2011 is I suspect going to test the limits of Hexamer’s ambition and abilities to absorb yet more vineyards. (The number of 2009 vintage wines I have had to reference with A.P. #s due to there being alternate bottlings is in itself testimony to the rapid expansion of this estate.) No one who has followed this young grower over the past decade, though, can accuse him of lacking seriousness, and he has been subjecting his stylistic ideals and his accomplishments to rigorous examination, knowing he must balance the potential value of experimentalism with the need to focus both his attention to individual wines and his stylistic range. These latest results reveal a grower increasingly sure in touch and displaying a defter sense of balance at both the dry and sweet ends of the spectrum. By a considerable margin, they constitute this estate’s most consistently excellent collection in my experience. With the exception of a couple of partial lots of generic dry Riesling, no 2009s were de-acidified, and a majority of the dry wines kicked into spontaneous fermentation, although Hexamer brought cultured yeasts to bear in order to promote dryness. Both an Eiswein and a T.B.A. from the Rheingrafenberg were still fermenting in September and I’ll have to report on those along with Hexamer’s 2010s.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300