2007 Hirsch Riesling Gaisberg

The Hirsch 2007 Riesling Gaisberg features peach, persimmon, and brown spices, supported by well-integrated residual sugar (slightly higher than that of the Heiligenstein). Glossy richness of texture and a palpable sense of sheer density are augmented by tingling, bright and savory, saline mineral notes, ginger, and certain deep notes that suggest malt and a Gruner Veltliner-like concentration of root vegetables. The contrast with the cool, floral character and elegant poise of the Heiligenstein is quite dramatic, although here, too, there is a lot of sheer mystery that will leave you shaking your head, but certainly not in regret that you purchased the wine! These single-vineyard Hirsch wines fearlessly show the way toward what Austrian even less than German vintners would want to call “halbtrocken,” but is in fact a beautiful balance for a Riesling of healthy acidity and strong minerality, a balance which will probably help to insure that they can cellar superbly for a dozen or more years. Johannes Hirsch was already done harvesting in 2007 on October 8 (after starting September 13), not far behind the Nikolaihof. And there is another connection with that venerable estate which may or may not be vital: Hirsch has been passionately pursuing a biodynamic path. I did manage to get a smile out of him when I suggested that he consider replacing the pile of cow horns he had accumulated with much rarer and surely more efficacious antlers of elk (Hirsch). “The clusters were beautifully golden-yellow, perfect,” he relates, so there was no need to wait, which meant missing out on the mid-October rains. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300