2005 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Gold Capsule

"Each year is different, but in 2005 Halenberg certainly had the upper hand," commented Werner Schonleber, whose son Frank has now joined him in the cellar. This was very apparent in my tastings this year. Although the vintage on the whole was considered first class, not all sites coped equally well with the hand that nature dealt them. Add to that the wild fermentations that have added a new dimension to this estate's wines and you have the full range of riesling's light and shadows across the spectrum of ripeness in two adjacent but completely different vineyards. While some wines were perhaps more ethereal last year, the 2005 gold capsule TBA is in a class of its own. (Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland, OR; Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ) Also recommended: 2005 Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling Kabinett Trocken (85), 2005 Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling Spatlese Trocken (86), 2005 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken (87), 2005 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spatlese Trocken (88), 2005 Riesling "Lenz" (85), 2005 Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling Kabinett (87).