2007 Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese **

Although picked near the end of his harvest, Schmitges points out that his “two star” 2007 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2 Star from ungrafted vines (now very rare in Treppchen) – quite typically for 2007 – came in at close to the same must weight as nearby parcels harvested nearly three weeks earlier for dry wine. White peach, grapefruit, orange, and honey in the nose and on the palate inform this by turns silken and strikingly creamy Riesling possessed of a wafting elegance and honeysuckle- and lily-like inner-mouth floral perfume. It finishes lushly; loaded with peach, citrus, and flowers; and with suggestions of honey and marzipan, yet well-balanced sweetness and an invigoratingly saline, shimmering suggestion of mineral matter. You can taste the tiny, golden, barely botrytis-tinged berries from which this was harvested, yet – to reiterate – the considerable extra measure of ripeness in this remarkable wine was accompanied by scarcely any increase in must weight. This phenomenal value should prove to be at least a 12-15 year keeper. Andreas Schmitges has just completed an impressive restoration of his family’s former house as a tasting room, and in viticulturally relevant respects, too, he continues to display healthy ambition, which is fortunately justified by excellent wines that keep getting even better. Importers include: Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389-9463; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR tel. 888 274 4312; Magellan Wine Imports, Centennial, CO (720) 272-6544.