2015 Kiedricher Grafenberg Trockenbeerenauslese

Deep golden in color, this 27th consecutive Weil TBA is ominously quiet in the nose, but hints at quince jelly, with subtly smoky, prickly anticipations of black tea, snuffed candle wick and lemon peel. Flavors surge on the palate: quince preserves, candied lemon peel, glazed pineapple, caramel, pistachio and almond extracts. The feel is viscous, creamy and oily. Almond brittle and nougat are reinforced by confectionary and confitured sweetness, but a lick of salt serves for saliva-inducement and keeps the intensely lingering finish from becoming cloying. Extract-rich on paper and concentrated by any measure, this sumptuous elixir is bound to reveal many further facets with time, though it’s sufficiently impressive and irresistible already that it would be churlish to object if someone lucky enough to own a bottle were to open it now. Unfortunately, the volume here represents only a small fraction of the corresponding Beerenauslese’s production.