2006 Bernkasteler Doctor Auslese Goldkapsel

The Thanisch 2006 Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Auslese reprises the nutmeg, cinnamon, apple jelly, peach preserves, and sweet floral perfume of the corresponding Spatlese, adding a major dollop of honey, lemon juice, and notes of white raisin. Envelopingly rich and pungently spicy, with vibrant citrus to help alleviate its sheer sweetness, this makes up in complexity and sheer concentration for what it (at least presently) lacks in refinement and buoyancy vis a vis that Spatlese. No doubt it will need a dozen years in the cellar to be properly appreciated and will last more than twice that long. 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.