1998 TBA #2 Chardonnay Nouvelle Vague

The 1998 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague Number 13 is Kracher's most concentrated wine from this vintage. Cedar, spices, apricots, and overripe peaches are displayed by this full-bodied, muscular offering. It is hugely dense, almost syrupy, with loads of jammy and jellied fruits in its round, sexy personality. This Rubenesque wine has untold quantities of fruit (mostly apricots), spices, and botrytis in its expressive, seamless flavor profile. This harmonious, muscular and graceful wine will retain its fruit for at least 15 years, and will potentially age longer than anyone reading this article. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700.

Pungent and nose‑wrinkling, with lees, wood spice and even a whiff of cigar smoke about it. Yellow plum, cherry preserve, white raisin and subtly caramelized peach in the mouth. Phenomenally thick and rich, yet somehow effortlessly light. Endless variations on pit fruits, white raisin and honey in the finish. This is a wine you'll never taste. Why? Because it not a wine. "I thought about bottling this stuff under that name, ‘Kein WeinÂ’ (no wine)," quips Kracher. This superconcentrated essence could not reach the legal minimum of 5% alcohol requisite for wine. It will be blended with a small amount of another exceptional batch of chardonnay (naturally a TBA) to nudge it over the threshold.