2010 Domaine Barmès-Buecher Riesling Hengst

High-toned scents of mirabelle distillate, kirsch and almond extract along with a whiff of mothball in the nose of Barmes-Buecher’s 2010 Riesling Hengst lead to a firmly textured but succulent cherry- and mirabelle-inflected palate, accompanied by fascinating inner-mouth suggestions of non-sweet floral perfume. The long finish here introduces a subtle stony undertone and mouthwatering salinity, conveying a metaphorically cool, restrained yet engagingly persistent effect. Look for this to prove even more interesting in a few years and to perform admirably through at least 2022. In November, 2011, Francois Barmes was struck by a car and killed while riding his bicycle in the neighborhood. This dedicated and innovative pioneer in biodynamic viticulture will be sorely missed by the entire Alsace wine growing community. His wife Genevieve and son Maxime – about whom I wrote three years ago that he “clearly has the sharp wits and experimental spirit to harness his youthful enthusiasm” – will carry on the work of their family domaine and they showed me their 2010s and 2011s on my most recent visit. Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644; also, a Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29