Monzinger Halenberg, Riesling, BA, Emrich Schönleber, 2011

Informed primarily by the fruit of a very young vineyard from which healthy material was first pulled out for dry wine, the Schonlebers 2011 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Beerenauslese features scents and flavors of herbal liqueur, dark honey, and salted caramel, all complimented by creamily textured, expansive, viscous palate presence. Impressively high 9.5 grams acidity serves to keep the sap moving and the taster craving another sip. For all of this elixirs sumptuousness and a buttery; yeast- and vanilla-tinged; pastry-like sense of enveloping richness, it retains a core of primary juiciness and harbors a salinity that sent my salivary glands into palpitations. Look for at least three decades of utter delight. I tasted one half constituting a 50-liter lot picked at a for this estate record 250 Oechsle must weight of the anticipated Halenberg T.B.A.. But since the rest was still fermenting and looked unlikely to reach legal vinosity, which would positively necessitate a blend to achieve sufficient alcohol anything I were to write about my experience would be deceptive. But let me at least note that there was more than enough brightness, levity, and penetration to this honeyed, peach syrup-like elixir to sustain a profound and prolonged future. Veteran Werner Schonleber stresses the role played in 2011s high quality by tiny drought-impacted berries as well as, naturally, the growing seasons early start; generally cool nighttime temperatures; and five weeks of ideal weather from mid-September on. That small berry size obviated any green harvest, but there was a substantial pre-harvest of Riesling destined largely for generic bottlings from September 26, with the two Pinots being picked immediately thereafter. The main harvest for Riesling commenced October 3, lasting for two weeks. Like many estates, botrytis arrived here directly on the heels of the heavy rain that fell around September 10-12, but dried to ideal purity and fineness to serve for ennobling concentration without overtly fungal character or less desirable concurrent infections. Imported by Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also imported by Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389- 9463