From the estate’s oldest vines in that site, the St. Urbans-Hof 2008 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Auslese smells headily of apple, pink grapefruit, quince preserves, white raisin, and lily, which foreshadow a lushness and honeyed sweetness of the palate that tart hints of grapefruit rind and savory salinity both compliment and help to counteract. Even more than some of the estate’s other 7.5% alcohol sweet 2008s, this displays delicacy that is practically dramatic as well as a remarkable marriage of opulence with refreshment and alkaline, stony, saline minerality that you’ll have trouble getting off your palate. Sankt Urbans-Hof, notes proprietor Nik Weis, experienced a good ten degrees Oechsle difference in 2008 between its ripest Saar fruit – bottled as Spatlese – and that of the Mosel, which reached Auslese level even without stringent selection of botrytis fruit. “We find this a terrific vintage,” remarks Weis – who compares its style with 1998 – “inasmuch as at long last we again have the clear differentiation between Kabinett as it should be, Spatlese, and ennobled Auslese.” Remarkably, there is only a single trocken bottling here this year (from Mehring) which I did not taste and which was destined for the Landhaus Sankt Urban restaurant of Weis’s sister and brother-in-law.Importer: H. B. Wine Merchants, New York, NY; tel. (917)-402-0456

An exotic version, featuring vanilla, herb and spice aromas and flavors revolving around a core of apple and Key lime pie. Plenty of flavor and character are locked up in this light-weight, sleek frame. Best from 2014 through 2030. 100 cases made, 25 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add