Peony, heliotrope, ripe Persian melon, peach, and fresh ginger in the nose of Muller-Catoir’s 2009 Mussbacher Riesling Kabinett set the tone for a lusciously juicy, florally wafting, and alluringly spice-tinged palate performance whose sweetness is impeccably judged, with dissolved CO2 and the impression of a squirt of fresh lime adding exuberance and additional refreshment to the finish. This buoyant, delicious example of a nearly extinct genre ought to perform beautifully for at least the next 10-12 years. “Despite sporadic rain at harvest time,” notes Martin Franzen about the 2009 harvest, “cool weather kept botrytis completely at bay. Frankly,” he adds, “it was hard to make disappointing wine with raw materials of this caliber.” But it was also impossible to achieve nobly sweet results save from Rieslaner, with its notorious penchant for spontaneous desiccation even in the absence of botrytis. This is the first vintage, incidentally, for which this estate has claimed organic bona fides, and Franzen – even if predictably – claims to find additional depth in his wines thanks to that conversion. (Not that this estate has ever been anything but entirely circumspect in any use of herbicides or pesticides.)Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
