2009 Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese

Cask sample. Restrained at this early stage, but with a nice spicy fragrance. Fresh and racy style, fine fruit and fine spices in an altogether very delicate wine. (MS)

Fresh strawberry and lime along with suggestions of musky narcissus and distilled herbal elixir on the nose and delicate palate of Loosen’s 2009 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese lead to a juicy, compulsively swallow-able finish threaded with salt and crushed stone. As this opens, further floral, herbal and mineral nuances emerge, and it promises to perform seductively for 25 or more years. If your taste memory doesn’t encompass last year’s rendition, you could be forgiven for asking yourself how much better a non gold-capsule Loosen Wurzgarten Spatlese could get. “I want real Kabinetts,” says Ernst Loosen by way of explaining his early start on the 2009 harvest, “between 80 and 83 Oechsle, with crisp acidity, freshness, and the like; and you can’t wait around, especially when you have five, maybe seven days of Kabinett-picking to do and every day ripeness is rising. This year, we wanted to delineate even more sharply the difference between Kabinett and Spatlese, as well as a distinct difference between Spatlese and Auslese.” In practical terms, this meant among other things slightly reducing the levels of residual sugar in the Kabinetts (Loosen says that trend will continue incrementally); and reserving botrytis fruit solely for wines labeled “Auslese.” Eiswein from Lay, Treppchen, and Sonnenuhr; Eiswein and T.B.A. from Pralat; as well as a T.B.A. from Wurzgarten were all – according to cellarmaster Bernhard Schug – in various states of fermentation or preparation for bottling when I visited in September, so consequently I shall review those wines (or at least some subset thereof) at such time as I report on the 2010 vintage. Importer: Loosen Brothers, Portland, OR tel. (510) 864-7255

Fresh strawberry and lime along with suggestions of musky narcissus and distilled herbal elixir on the nose and delicate palate of Loosen’s 2009 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese lead to a juicy, compulsively swallow-able finish threaded with salt and crushed stone. As this opens, further floral, herbal and mineral nuances emerge, and it promises to perform seductively for 25 or more years. If your taste memory doesn’t encompass last year’s rendition, you could be forgiven for asking yourself how much better a non gold-capsule Loosen Wurzgarten Spatlese could get. Dec 2009, www.robertparker.com