Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 1 star

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The Kerpen 2006 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese is gaudy in its aromas of banana, mango, over-ripe apricot, honey, and spice. Thickly rich in the manner of the “three star” Auslese, it’s shot through with lemony citricity, lending a lot of energy reminiscent of the “one star” and a slightly aggressive pungency and spice of botrytis – quite a contrast with most of the wines that have gone before. The finish not only maintains the penetrating posture of citrus and botrytis, but reminds one of the literally over-ripe character of the fruit. The botrytis here manifests itself in, among others, a smoky, slightly sweaty suggestion. Will this gain clarity, refinement and harmony over time? Probably yes, but do not expect quick results. This will almost certainly be in good shape still in 30 or more years. Kerpen draws an analogy to his smoky, pungent 1993 Sonnenuhr B.A., and – lo and behold! – happens to have opened a bottle to prove his point: it shows a clarity and refinement one would not have expected from it as a young wine. But in 1993, Kerpen points out, he and others underestimated the level of sugar needed for the wines to evolve with maximum grace, a mistake he made sure not to repeat in 2006. Martin Kerpen and his vines had a hard act to follow after their successes in 2005 but were more than up to the task, confirming the hypothesis that these always excellent wines have crossed a new quality threshold. Still, the last place I would have imagined 2006s keeping pace was in the range of trocken.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Why “one-star” 2005 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese*? Simply because Kerpen thought it better than any “normal” Beerenauslese he has bottled, and at 180 Oechsle was picked at a 20% premium in sugar over T.B.A. minimum. Sharp botrytis pungency, lemon meringue, fresh grapefruit and apple jelly aromas lead to a concentrated, almost tongue-shreddingly bright palate that is firm and insistently citric as well as honeyed. Citrus zest, wet stone, and the bitter side of vanilla bean emerge prominently in this Riesling’s honeyed, viscous, glycerin-rich, yet still almost sharply citric finish. Almost certainly this concentrate needs some additional months or a year just to come into proper focus and suggest future balance. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300