2009 Rudesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling

The Breuer 2009 Rudesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling mingles gooseberry, white peach, nettle, crushed stone, and pronounced, lip-smacking salinity in a manner that reminds me somewhat of certain Loire Sauvignons or Chablis. This is severely concentrated to the point of palpable extract-richness, quickening tartness, and sizzling pungency and smokiness. Id want to revisit it in a few years to reassess, but for now I would not count on this – impressive though it is – being a wine to hold longer than 5-6 years, lest severity and austerity become its lot. Theresa Breuer underplayed the effects of drought conditions during late summer and early autumn 2009 on the performance of her familys vines in the exposed, rocky Rudesheimer Berg, and, admittedly, there are drip lines in some locations to compensate. But I can easily imagine a connection between that drought and the somewhat peaky acids and strident personalities of many wines in the present collection, and Breuer notes that the slightly lower must weights and consequently lower finished alcohol of several wines probably also reflects at least in part vine stress. (The measured levels of acidity are still lower this year than in the corresponding 2008s.) Picking began already at the end of September and lasted until October 25, under conditions Breuer described as “relatively relaxed.” Incidentally, I re-tasted the top 2008s at this address and would rate the Nonnenberg and Berg Rottland a notch up on my account in issue 187. This is an instance where 2009 is I believe highly unlikely to ever approach the outstanding quality level of its immediate predecessor. (Note: most of the dry-tasting Breuer wines are legally trocken but not labeled as such.) Imported by Classical Wines, Seattle WA 206 547 0255