2007 - Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Auslese, Reinhold Haart

From two small pickings, the Haart 2007 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Auslese smells of caramelized, singed peach, yellow plum, grilled pineapple, and cocoa powder. Despite the prickle of botrytis, caramelization, and hint of textural oiliness, this displays remarkable delicacy on the palate, with saline and stony minerality, tart hints of fruit skin and ripe citrus lending the finish more energy and sheer refreshment than in the corresponding Spatlese. The botrytis and fresh fruit components here engender a scintillating interplay rather than a sweet-sour bifurcation. This should merit a quarter century of observation and enjoyment. Theo and son Johannes Haart had memorable success in 2007, a vintage Haart senior compares in quality and style with 2001, and whose wines he thinks will need longer than usual to show their true meddle. This year’s surprisingly numerous dry-tasting wines seem on the whole marginally disappointing, although those wines too deserve patience. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463