TN: BA, van Volxem Riesling Scharzhofberger, 2010: All in a glass

[John Trombley]

Van Volxem-Roman Niewodniczansky Scharzhofberger Riesling Beerenauslese 2010 (Saar), Wiltingen, AP 354 7222 25 11; $90/375 ml, WineBid; 7.5 pabv. Cork-finished. Via Coravin/le Taster. A rarity--I think I've seen two vintages of this in the last 18 years. One of Roman's unusual dessert wines, another being his only Auction Wine from the Goldberg.

So viscous it will pour only by drops even with a fresh argon cartridge. Forward straw hue, heavy sheeting, deeply refractive and brilliant. According to a critic, Roman 'hates' Botrytis, and the color of this wine argues they're correct, and that the ripeness here is due to extended dry late harvesting, belying the idea that BAs must have Botrytis as part of their style.

Very rich, honied, somewhat searching, candied nose, with hints of linden leaf and grass and mixed overripe tropical fruit, with detectable freshness. Very tight but delicate on entry, giving the impression of a light mid-palate, but that's just the first sip. Notes of cherry with considerable lift now on the middle; very long and simple sweet wild cherry on the finish. Will take days to open. With an hour of air, the nose now seems covered with a gloss of horse glue (such as one might whiff around an antique violin) and Rebholz-like caraway with maybe a little cedar oil. There develops some sweet high-toned citrus on the palate at 2 hours. All along there seems to be a suggestion of the kind of herbaceous fruit (sweet pea, sweet pepper) you might find in a typical Grüner Veltliner.

At 24 hours, tasted from a Riedel Riesling, the wine is giving an entirely different impression, more integrated, harmonious, juicy, and expressive in the higher register, at what is probably a more controlled level of ripeness than seemed so yesterday. Nose is quite like an exquisite fresh-pressed classic apple cider, for example, and sweet spearmint aromas and taste. How much of the impression given upon opening was due to the le Taster being a little too Impitoyable?

Remarkably butch and tight at first but with mysterious in-between layers of delicacy; more indeed like a Trockenbeerenauslese than a BA. Doesn't yet know what style it will settle into. Even at 7-8 years it's still sorting itself out as if it were yet unbottled. Will it be all harmonious and harp-like on the top, or mostly like a brass choir? Invest what time you can afford in this one. Upside rating possible as we go along.

Can be drunk now but with essentially limitless life restricted to how long the cork holds up. I think it will repay long cellaring with a great expression of this, the Saar's, and to some Germany's, greatest vineyard. 92-94/100.