2006 Bernkasteler Doctor Trockenbeerenauslese

The nose of Thanisch’s 2006 Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese is overwhelmingly dominated by white raisin, butterscotch, and candied fruits, and its rich, viscous palate impression is as confectionary as the nose suggests. Brown spices, peach preserves, honey, mango chutney and vanilla add to a finish of overriding sweetness. With such sheer abundance, no one could call this “undifferentiated,” but “embryonic,” yes, and also too syrup-like (at least for me) to be at all fun to drink ... perhaps in 2-3 years. I confess to having come late to an appreciation of the wines of Sofia Thanisch (at the “Widow of Dr. H. Thanisch” estate – not to be confused with Thanisch Muller-Burggraef, whose recent wines I have found less interesting). There seems to be no question that quality has risen in the past decade, but on a recent visit I was able to taste a range of vintages that convinced me the greatest impediment to appreciating these Riesling from the famed Doctor vineyard (other than the very price of admission) is that they so often start life plump, sweet, undifferentiated, and marked by lees or sulfur, only becoming compelling after at a minimum six or eight years in bottle. With that in mind, do not take my assessments of the following 2006s as reflecting their potential. (I’ll offer a more detailed assessment of this estate when I review their 2007 collection). Various importers.