Weingut Hiedler Heiligenstein Riesling, Kamptal, Austria

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Buddleia and honeysuckle; orange and lemon blossom in the nose of Hiedler’s 2010 Riesling Heiligenstein have their subtly bitter yet amply juicy counterpoint on a palate slicked with honey and glycerin and spiked with botrytis spice. Unlike several other Hiedler Rieslings of its vintage, this buffers its more aggressive phenolic and botrytis-borne elements, and an estimated eight grams of residual sugar help out in that respect as well as underscoring the sense of floral perfume that culminates in a delightful though bittersweet and pungent impression of chomping flowers. There is a hint of heat in the finish but overall this is deliciously convincing, and ought to drink well for at least 4-5 years. Ludwig Hiedler – whose overall account of vintage 2010 can be found leading-off my introduction to this report – notes that “given such a small crop, ripeness wasn’t that bad once you got into October; and we started picking relatively early so as not to risk further crop loss and so as to avoid botrytis. All that was left to pick in November was the Heiligenstein and Maximum Riesling; Weissburgunder and Chardonnay; and the Kittmannsberg (Gruner Veltliner),” that last a good thing, since Hiedler has for years bottled its fruits under the name “November Harvest” (recently shortened to “November”)! Hiedler has taken an increasingly passive and leisurely approach to fermentation and elevage – as described in my introductions to his 2005 and 2006 collections in issues 160 and 177, where further details on the sites he farms will also be found. His wines tend to undergo malo-lactic transformation as a matter of course, not to mention enjoy long lees contact, and thus his approach to ameliorating 2010’s high acidity was already a foregone conclusion.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

According to its importer, Terry Theise, the 2004 Riesling Heiligenstein misbehaved for him in early showings, but by June I found it able to acquit itself well even with the competition offered by this year’s Gaisberg (harvested, incidentally, in the same last days of November). Aromas of buddleia, orange blossom and fennel persist on the juicy, medium-bodied palate. Less dense than the Gaisberg, this nevertheless reveals, in its textural suggestion of creaminess and its expansive floral persistence, the effect of very old vines that make up half of this bottling. As it opens in the glass, the full panoply of its pit fruit, sweet herbal and floral flavors spread into a rainbow of finishing flavors. You could say that this leaves the Gasiberg in the dust ? provided that only a descriptive, not an evaluative meaning is intended. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Ludwig Hiedler owns 2.5 acres in the Heiligenstein vineyard, planted to Riesling. This wine is typical of the vineyard, full of minerality as well as intense flavors of apricots and a touch of citrus. It is powerful and should age slowly over the next 10 years. Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines.——R.V.(8/1/2005)—— 91