Bottled in September of last year, the Knoll 2009 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese was selected over a wide range of sites and represents a comparably tiny quantity to that of its most recent, 2006 predecessor. It weighed in at around 200 Oechsle and now harbors 300 grams of residual sugar, yet projects impeccable balance. Apricot preserves and orange marmalade; crystallized ginger; caramel and honey mingle on an alluring nose and creamy, buoyant, yet persistently juicy palate. As it opens, this reveals a wealth of high-toned, distillate like fruit esters as well as fruit pit piquancy. There is penetrating intensity, uncanny levity, and near-endless persistence that have to be experienced to be believed. I suspect this will still dazzle three or four decades from now if not later. “Warmth and wind at the end of October gave Smaragd the extra push, especially for Gruner Veltliner,” notes Emmerich Knoll Senior, and his estate did not begin picking that category until the first week in November. “Up until then, it pretty much counted as settled that we wouldn’t bottle a 2010 Vinothek in either Riesling or Gruner Veltliner, which in fact we did. But I can’t recall when the Smaragd ever had acid levels identical to the Federspiel as happened this year. Not that I’m unhappy about this,” he adds with a laugh. “There have been and will be quite a few vintages in which we would be happy for some of 2010’s acidity.” A portion of the Riesling Federspiel crop was de-acidified as must. Total production was only around half of what Knoll considers normal. None of the Smaragd – collectively, almost unbelievably, representing the heart of one of the finest Knoll collections in memory – was not due to have been bottled until late this summer.Importer: Circo Vino Besenville, IL; tel. (417) 732 4200