2006 Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Grosses Gewachs

Frohlich's 2006 Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs was harvested form old vines in a central portion of that site very different in microclimate from the source of the dry Kabinett. Musk melon and blackcurrant laced with honeysuckle, smoke and Szechuan pepper in the nose lead to a juicy and generous though persistently pungent palate with clarity and lift. Refined and long, with saline minerality and unquenchably juicy fruit and smokiness, this is impeccably balanced at the high end of permissible residual sugar for trocken and at 13% alcohol. Frohlich says one has to do a lot of thinking and experimenting to find out how to achieve such a balance. Expect this and the other Frohlich Grosse Gewachs of 2006 to be worth following for at least 8-10 years. Tim Frohlich says 2006 was the real test of the thought and work he and his family have put into their vineyards over the past several years. He passed that test with flying colors: very few German estates could claim such consistently high quality across such a wide stylistic range. The harvest did not finish until the last week in October, yet yields were not far from normal. When I realized in the course of my visit the number of nobly sweet 2006s awaiting me, I spontaneously rearranged my schedule to squeeze in a second session. The words -worth a detour- scarcely do justice to that experience. Frohlich compares his top nobly sweet Rieslings this year with his selections -under ideal conditions in 2002 and 2005, but the 2006s have more kick of acidity.- My guess is that when he's retired, he'll still view these wines as a benchmark. Imported by Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 596-9463