2008 Haardter Burgergarten Auslese

Picked out – in part berry-by-berry – over the range of this large site, the Muller-Catoir 2008 Haardter Burgergarten Riesling Auslese features Persian melon and quince preserves with lily and heliotrope perfume and a hint of yeastiness; seems to levitate on the palate while supplying a boundless, creamy, indescribably luscious source of honey, fruit preserves, nut oils, and liquid floral perfume; and finishes with soothing, caramel-tinged richness and stimulating hints of peach kernel and salt. You won’t encounter a much more complex and ethereal yet at the same time seductively rich Riesling than this, even in a vintage that favors the possibility. I’d plan on savoring this impeccably-balanced and by no means sugar-dominated Auslese over the next 30 years. You just had to be patient, said Martin Franzen about the 2008 harvest, but then once the grapes were ready, things went at a pretty good clip. We didn’t attempt to pick on into November. He volunteered a characterization of the wines as, incredibly playful and vibratory, which both amused and comforted me, seeing how often I had myself by then used those metaphors to describe some of the best of them. The recent evolution of this estate under Franzen’s direction – about which I have written extensively in issue 185 and elsewhere – continues on an exciting trajectory, and in retrospect I must say that with the possible exception of the two vintages of awkward transition immediately following the departure of long-time director Hans-Gunter Schwarz, at no point since I began tasting the wines of Muller-Catoir in the early ‘80s has this estate slipped from the apex of the Pfalz – indeed, of its nation’s – viticultural pecking order. Following current German fashion, Muller-Catoir now renders a Sauvignon Blanc, but I forgot to ask to taste its current installment, after having missed out on the inaugural rendition due to ignorance. With Pinot Blanc, though, Muller-Catoir is on solid ground, this grape’s virtues having even been enshrined in the Pfalz realization of Grosses Gewachs, and the estate’s history of success with it being long and illustrious. Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300