2008 Roland Schmitt "Glintzberg" Riesling (Previously $17)

The Schmitt's village is located in the far northern part of the Bas Rhin province about 25 kilometers west of Strasbourg. Although not as picturesque as the quaint villages further south in the Haut Rhin, Bergbieten produces some of the most remarkable wines in all of Alsace. The soil is gravelly limestone, which provides perfect drainage during wet periods, reflects the sunlight well during cool, sunny weather, and remains moist in dry spells. The Schmitts vinify their wines in the traditional style. This means a cool fermentation of a hand picked harvest in stainless steel vats, and very little if any residual sugar is left in the wines. They believe that the combination of ripe fruit, exceptional terroir and good acidity produces wines which show remarkable character without being heavy-handed. The Glintzberg vineyard butts up against the Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergbieten vineyard. The soils are identical with the only difference being that the Grand Cru vineyard is exposed more ideally to the southeast while the Glintzberg vineyard is exposed east. There are very few winemakers in Alsace who still produce classic dry riesling because off dry wines win blind tastings. Sweet wines, however, are not always what one wants with dinner. The nose has some mineral notes as well as melons and citrus. The attack in the mouth is thoroughly refreshing with zesty minerality and good acidity. A firm mineral streak runs through to the end of a very long finish while the wine is coat