The late-harvested Minges 2006 Gleisweiler Holle Riesling Spatlese Gold Capsule A.P. #22 smells exotically and almost over-ripely of maracuja, peach, and lychee. Common themes of this year’s Holle Riesling bottlings – gardenia and peony floral notes, caramel, and brown spices – are reiterated, along with a more pungent, sultry suggestion of botrytis. For all of its richness, this preserves some of the same lively core of citrus possessed by its sibling A.P. #21, guaranteeing an element of sheer refreshment and preservation of liveliness in the finish. It should be worth cellaring for 12-14 years at least. Here and in A.P. 21, incidentally, the acidity is not especially high by analysis, but is certainly efficacious. Theo Minges certainly proved his viticultural mastery this year, because you would never guess you were tasting wines from such a challenging vintage. “Yes,” he says, “we began picking really rapidly at first. But after a while, once we saw that things had stabilized in the vineyard, we could adopt a completely normal pace.”Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300