2010 Heiligenstein Riesling Zobing Kamptal

The Hirsch 2010 Riesling Heiligenstein displays an uncanny and wonderful sense of transparency of white peach, lime, and kumquat fruit to gentian- and iris-like bittersweet floral perfume as well as crystalline mineral nuances. It had still been fermenting until a month before I tasted it in June, when it was still on its gross lees. “I haven’t tasted this for two weeks,” remarked Hirsch as we tasted, “and I swear, a week ago it was still completely closed.” Well, it certainly isn’t now! For the geeks (or skeptics about “non-dry” Austrian Riesling), this harbors close to ten grams of residual sugar that are entirely balanced out by the wine’s efficacious acidity and huge buffering extract. Rich citrus honey is complemented by zesty piquancy and irresistible sheer juiciness in a buoyant, scintillating, and relentless finish. This essence of Heiligenstein should remain ravishing for 12-15 years, quite possibly a high-point of the vintage for its region. The bad news is that this is Hirsch’s bottling most reduced in quantity – by half – vis-a-vis 2009. “But if the crop hadn’t been so small,” he notes resignedly, “this sort of ripeness would not have been possible given 2010 conditions.” Johannes Hirsch claims not to have de-acidified even his least expensive 2010. “If you just waited to harvest and then waited to bottle,” he insists, “nature took care of things,” not only through precipitation of tartrates but “because these wines just have so much sheer extract,” something I certainly thought palpable while tasting this terrific collection. “The motto for this vintage should be ‘Let it all hang out!’,” Hirsch says with a grin by way of summary. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300