2010 Monzinger Halenberg Grosses Gewachs

Quite marked greenish gold. Not especially expressive on the nose. Acidity marked but much better integrated than on the Frühlingsplätzchen 2010. Just a little simple in terms of flavour but well structured. Hint of currant leaves. (JR)

The Emrich-Schonleber 2010 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs projects a more severe sense of penetration than its Fruhlingsplatzchen counterpart, with smoky and overtly stony mineral notes as well as fruit pit piquancy playing against a field of white peach, almond, and citrus. Polished and palpably extract-rich, this finishes with a flourish of energy and unexpected buoyancy as well as nuanced complexity, hints of vanilla, toasted nuts, thyme, and white pepper adding to the already mentioned litany of flavors. Look for a dozen or more years of distinction. (A bottle open for three days displayed even more depth than that freshly opened.) Interestingly, some of the legally halbtrocken “R” lot of Halenberg was blended into the lot originally harvested as Grosses Gewachs to achieve the present result (which had consequences noted in my review of that 2010 “R.”) ”Look, the acid levels were almost this high in 1994 – though with much higher yields,” relates Werner Schonleber of 2010, “and yet 1994 was probably my most individual year of the 1990s,” a judgment in which, incidentally, I concur. Musts of extremely high acidity (a couple had pHs under 3.0) were de-acidified – “very cautiously,” notes Frank Schonleber, “leaving plenty of leeway in case one or the other went into malo,” which several Riesling lots spontaneously followed the lead of the estate’s Pinots in doing. Despite high levels of potassium (not to mention, of course, tartaric acid) and a cold winter, there was relatively little precipitation of tartrates at this address. Early picking of the Schonlebers’ Auf der Lay parcel, already with significant botrytis, militated against there being an “A.de.L” bottling this year such as had been essayed – exclusively in magnum – in the two preceding vintages. This is really a year, chez Schonlebers, for Fruhlingsplatzchen as a site to shine, though neither they nor I can offer a hypothesis. Regarding the gap or jump in this year’s line-up from “regular” (though in fact, fantastic) Auslesen to Eiswein, Werner Schonleber commented that given the quality and the paucity of fruit available, “Attempts to segregate a gold capsule Auslese were going to make for (“regular”)Auslese in which something was missing. And we scarcely thought ourselves capable of a Beerenauslese this vintage; the attempt wouldn’t have gone well. We had lovely botrytis, but by no means such concentrated berries.” Imported by Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also imported by Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389- 9463

If elegance is the trademark of the Frühlingsplätzchen, I would favour opulence to describe the Halenberg. There is a perfumed vinosity rarely matched by any rivals, though to use the term overpowering would do injustice to the generous, yet subtle expression of fruit. A finely tuned minerality adds grace to an already complex yet harmonious performance. I refuse to name the individual members of the orchestra, but you will find the conductor's name at the top of the program. (MS)