2005 Nikolaihof Riesling Vom Stein Federspiel

The late-released 2005 Riesling Smaragd Vom Stein in fact represents only half of what was produced under that name. The Saahs family would have preferred to have left the total volume in cask for future release, but that wasn’t practical in this instance, so they split it. Raspberry, brown spices, incense, and sweet floral notes result in an unusual and scintillating bouquet. On the palate, there is a dramatically dynamic exchange of berry, citrus, and floral flavors, but also an adamant underlying stoniness. The finish is long and intriguing, the more so the longer this sits in the glass (which, by the way, is the main basis on which the decision is made which few wines will enjoy extended barrel aging). This could easily reel you in and keep you riveted to the table for an entire evening. If you’re savvy, you’ll lay some away to compare with the “same” wine matured in cask. Of course, the family is not giving odds as to when they (or rather, they would insist, the wine) will decide to bottle part two: a Nikolaihof “Vinothek” bottling can sometimes rest in Fuder for more than a decade. The 2006 collection here is a triumph, confirming that young Nikolaus Saahs is capable of preserving if not enhancing the high standards and distinctive style of his family’s wines. Even the most understated bottlings – perhaps those in particular – make a completely convincing statement. (For a more “complete Nikolaihof experience,” I have listed and reviewed the wines in the order in which they were presented to me when I first tasted them in June.) Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300