Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese Lange Goldkapsel, Mosel, Germany

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With its “cask number” as usual acting as a sort of brand for this particular bottling, Kesselstatt’s 2010 Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese long gold capsule #10 delivers peach and apricot in both fresh and preserved forms along with grapefruit marmalade in a spicy, confectionary yet exuberantly juicy amalgam that’s shot through with smoky black tea; honey; yeasty allusions to white bread; and quickening fresh lemon. The buoyant, enticing and almost riotously complex interplay of elements here demonstrates how botrytis can add complexity without in the least weighing down or embittering the results. Saliva-inducing salinity such as one seldom experiences in a wine this ennobled, adds to an extraordinarily penetrating finish and an already existing compulsion to take the next sip. This regal ambassador for its great site and quite literally exceptional vintage should be worth following for at least four decades. Annegret Reh and vineyard manager-cellarmaster Wolfgang Mertes have turned in a 2010 collection reduced in volume (unusually, I tasted it in its entirety) but of impressively consistent excellence, with welcome clarity and focus as well as relatively low-alcohol balance at its drier end. Here is one estate where a direct comparison is possible and the Saar and Ruwer generated more excitement than the Middle Mosel. “What really proved valuable this year,” notes Reh, “was de-leafing” to enhance ventilation, which manifestly didn’t handicap the wines in terms of ripeness. As is typically the case here, too, the wings were often cut off of the clusters, although given the tiny 2010 crop that wasn’t necessary in all parcels. Picking for the top dry wines took place within a fairly narrow window near the end of October – botrytis being carefully eliminated; skin contact being extended; and selected musts being double-salt de-acidified – and they were bottled in July. This geographically wide-ranging and terroir-blessed estate continues to chart a unique stylistic course, in particular with wines labeled “Kabinett” tending increasingly toward very discretely-integrated “hidden” sweetness that renders them extremely versatile at table but in striking contrast to most Mosel wines so-labeled, which tend toward extremely low alcohol and pronounced sweetness, not to mention in contrast with the majority of German Riesling as a whole, which remains fashionably legally trocken.Various importers including P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424

Von Kesselstatt’s 2007 Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese Long Gold Capsule #10 (that number – prominently displayed on the label – serving simply as a recurring nickname for this bottling, and there being no other Scharzhofberger Auslese here this vintage) smells of caramelized white peach, quince, lily, and papaya; is lusciously juicy as well as creamy and richly nutty on the palate, yet at the same time extraordinarily delicate and buoyant; and finishes with sumptuous length, incorporating a (for botrytis Auslese) astonishing degree of saline and stony mineral nuance. I would not plan to revisit this gem for a decade while its overt sweetness backs off a bit, though that is purely a matter of personal taste. It is certainly an outstanding rendition of its great site, and one that could be rewardingly followed for three decades. A protracted harvest is almost bound to be especially beneficial for an estate with such enormous and widely-scattered vine acreage as that of von Kesselstatt. The acidity in this year’s collection is almost uniformly ripe, and often noticeably low. As usual, a certain austerity accrues to a fair share of Kesslestatt’s many trocken Rieslings (wines from whose labels the last vestiges of Pradikat designations have now disappeared), but happily, alcoholic heat was scarcely a problem here this year. Interestingly, the Saar wines among these were generally especially successful regardless of style. Annegret Reh’s plan in the Kabinett segment, incidentally, is to eventually eliminate the redundancy of having both feinherb (successors to former halbtrocken) and unabashedly sweet bottlings from a single site, but instead work in the direction of merely discreet – i.e. feinherb – sweetness for most of the estate’s Kabinetts. In a sweet style, the Kesselstatt Kabinetts have consistently represented excellent values with ready market-availability, whereas few of the drier Kabinetts (and virtually none of the estate’s trocken Rieslings) seem to make it to the U.S.Various importers including: P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel (918) 622-0424.

Von Kesselstatt's 2006 Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese Long Gold Capsule (another wine with an annually recurring nickname, -#10-, this year the A.P. #28) is loaded with peach preserves, maracuja, and honey, accented by peach kernel, vanilla, and brown spices. Rich and creamy, yet for all that, buoyant, and full of juicy fresh fruit suggestions, in the manner of so many of the best nobly sweet wines of this vintage, the pure, soothingly satisfying finish of this Scharzhofberger displays great poise, prodigious length, balanced sweetness, and a clarity that permits subtle stony and saline mineral nuances to shimmer through. Lock this away for a decade if you can manage the self-discipline, and anticipate at least a 30 year life span. -We organized early,- says Annegret Reh-Gartner, -and then harvested in two weeks what we usually harvest in four.- She felt her hand was forced on the Saar when many of their vineyards were hailed on September 30, but by the time the crew was mobilized the heavy rain of October 3 was upon them.Various importers including: P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. (918) 622-0424