2007 Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett

The von Othegraven 2007 Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett smells of fresh apple, yellow cherry, and diverse herbs. At 35 grams residual sugar, its sweetness crosses the boundaries of mere subtlety, but is still well-integrated, as well as supportive of the wine’s luscious orchard fruit and suggestions of citrus. An invigorating hint of salinity adds appeal to a satisfying finish. For now, this is less expressive than the quite differently-balanced Kupp Kabinett (Kegel suggest that’s a function of site) and I would certainly find it less usefulness at table slightly more restricted, but no doubt this wine will prove worth following for a decade or more. Dr. Heidi Kegel and her cellarmaster Andreas Barth have introduced some large new casks with the 2008 vintage, and while this means having to deal with flavors of wood in the early stages, the impetus for installing them to “open the wines up a bit” is understandable when one considers the dry 2007 vintage results in particular, with their pungently herbal, reductive notes. Of more immediate concern though are suggestions in these dry wines of bitterness and a certain stiff austerity, and not only in this vintage. Happily, the residually sweet wines this year (which are the ones imported to the U.S.) are the most expressive and focused I have thus far tasted from this estate, and clearly reflective of their outstanding vine acreage. Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300