2007 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese

Scents of peppermint, baked apple, pineapple, honeysuckle, and licorice rise from the glass of Schaefer 2007 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese, which goes on to reveal honeyed richness and hints of caramel from botrytis, yet dances across the palate with motions both delicate and sweeping. The long, soothing finish here practically hovers. There is a purity about this that defies episodic descriptions, and slate seems here to have been sublimated in the service of perfume and fruit. This will reveal plenty of nuance and present new mysteries over the next 25-30 years. Willi Schaefer and Christoph harvested until mid-November. “There wasn’t any botrytis until the end of October,” relates Schaefer senior, “and what little botrytis there was, was clean.” Some of the excitement here, though, comes at the light end of the Oechsle scale. This year’s Schaefer Kabinetts represent outstanding values. But more than that, they display by turns delicacy and density, jewel-like intricacy and simplicity, elective affinity for our appetites and mystery, such as only a great work of nature confers. And if you prefer that they taste less sweet, just don’t start drinking them before they reach age ten! Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300