At a tad over 13% alcohol, the Schonborn 2009 Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling Spatlese trocken – from a relatively well-drained, elevated, and stony portion of that Einzellage along the border with Schloss Johannisberg – displays saline and stony aspects that seem at least metaphorically to fit its location. Despite underlying leanness, there are both polished texture and a satisfying bright lemon and ripe pear to convey primary juiciness. Hints of lemon zest and radish add a brash note to the impressively persistent finish. I would tentatively anticipate this to be best drunk over the next 4-6 years. “We still need to offer our customers at least one Spatlese trocken parallel to our Erste Gewachse,” remarks director Barth, and the estates substantial and mature Hasensprung acreage lends itself to satisfying that market niche. (It appears at the very least unlikely that Schonborn will ever again undertake Spatlese trocken bottlings from sites that are simultaneously showcased as Erste Gewachse – a practice the VDP strongly discourages.) The latest collection from Peter Barth and his team further demonstrates the high standards that now prevail at this venerable estate. “The window for optimal harvest seems to keep narrowing,” Barth notes, and the relatively high finished alcohol levels on this years dry Schonborn Rieslings certainly testifies to that fact, leaving the 2008s at this address with a distinct edge over their 2009 counterparts. Despite the ravages of hail in Hattenheim and Erbach – including the loss of nearly one-third of the estates anticipated crop of Marcobrunn – the number of different bottlings from that site and from the monopole Pfaffenberg is still considerable. Various importers, including Dee Vine Wines San Francisco, CA; tel. (877) 389- 9463, Slocum & Sons, North Haven, CT; tel. 203-239-8000, Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700, Winesellers Ltd. Niles, IL; tel. (847) 647-1100