Kruger-Rumpf Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Grosses Gewachs

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The 2010 Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Grosses Gewachs – fermented in cask and later transferred to tank – is the Rumpfs’ one trocken wine of its vintage that was not de-acidified, and whether or not by mere coincidence is also arguably their most successful. Tart green apple and grapefruit with piquant hints of their pips could to be sure tend toward austerity, but there is a leesy richness of texture along with underlying nut oils and a bright primary juiciness here that alleviate the aforementioned tendency, while myriad stony and smoky mineral and forest floor nuances are clearly projected in a satisfyingly long, refreshing finish. (That this retained seven grams of residual sugar – high by the standards of this year’s Kruger-Rumpf trockens – might also play a role in its expressiveness.) Following for 4-6 years might make sense, although I foresee this wine succumbing to increasing austerity thereafter. Stefan and Georg Rumpf’s 2010 collection was one of those, whose stubbornly-dry trocken Rieslings more than just occasionally tended toward an angularity, bitterness, and tartness that I doubt they will entirely outgrow. The Rumpfs de-acidified selectively, sometimes in must and sometimes to young wine. Skin contact was favored as a check on acids, though that may arguably have reinforced bitterness. Bottling times were pushed back by about a month, though in the context of such late harvest that means essentially the usual length of elevage. Incidentally, I found the Rumpf’s two 2009 Spatburgunder bottlings to have been diminished by the quality of barriques employed and/or the wine’s length of exposure to wood, specifically by faintly rancid overtones and a tendency toward drying in the finish.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The Kruger-Rumpf 2008 Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Grosses Gewachs displays similar citrus and herb characteristics to the separate lot that was bottled just as Dautenpflanzer trocken, but the extra measure of concentration here – as is often the case with Grosse Gewachse – manifests itself as bitterness of citrus rind and pips. Of course, the Rumpfs agree that the “l(fā)esser” bottling is more aromatically expressive, juicier – in short, more fun to drink now – than the Grosses Gewachs. That’s one of the reasons they bottled them separately. But I ask myself, what exactly is it we’re supposed to be waiting for in the evolution of the Grosses Gewachs? As the estate’s talent in this category has grown, I need to go back and review how they are faring in bottle. But like many wines in its new luxury category, I am skeptical that this will live up to its price. The Rumpfs seem in 2008 to have had to struggle less to avoid the greenness that was observed in certain of their 2007s. “There was just nothing you could do this year,” comments Georg Rumpf, “except let the fruit hang a long time on the vine.”Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The 2004 Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Grosses Gewachs smells of under-ripe pear, sweet flowers, mint and sage. On the palate, this wine displays lovely floral, herbal and mineral notes. It finishes with obvious refinement but considerable restraint, suggesting that it just needs a little time to really blossom. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300