2006 Riesling Sommerberg E

Jean Boxler describes 2007 as "a very good, classic year: pretty and fine, and like '04 and '01 in quality." He explained: "The fruit ripened very slowly and the fruit stayed clean, so we didn't get the concentration of botrytis at the end that we got in years like '02 and '92. We actually started picking the cremant on August 28, but didn't finish the harvest until the end of October." The Boxlers picked very quickly and early in 2006, "even on Sunday. After we brought in the cremant, we went straight to the Sommerberg. No one around us picked so early, and the late pickers could not possibly make ageworthy dry wines with purity of aromas. This vintage was all about the health of your vines, harvest dates and selection of only the good grapes. We went from our shortest harvest to date in 2006 to the longest harvest ever in 2007." The estate-wide yield in 2006 was a very low 28 hectoliters per hectare, noted Boxler, compared to 38 h/h in 2007-a figure that would have been higher but for hail damage in pinot blanc and sylvaner. (Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY) Also recommended: 2006 Pinot Blanc (85), 2006 Sylvaner (86), 2006 Pinot Gris (85).