2002 Riesling Privat

Here we have sections of Piri picked about two weeks later than those utilized for the "regular" bottling and with a roughly 10% share of botrytized fruit. Esterous, peachy, high-toned, citric and floral on the intense, complex nose. A suggestion of sweetness in the mouth from the sheer ripeness, along with hints of brown spices and an almost drying note of wet stone. In the finish, those stones aren't just wet, they're inundated by waves of honey, sweet florality and distilled pit fruit essences, a rime of citrus zest and salt glistening on the surface. "This has lost some of its fruit since bottling," cautions Nigl. That would be caution indeed: step back when you open a bottle of this in late 2003. 2 stars.