2012 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken

Bernd Philippi sold his family’s estate to Alan Sauvage in 2010, but remained involved for another few years during a transitional period. Now Dominik Sona, Ulrich Meyer and Johannes Lochner are responsible for the future of this iconic property. “We don’t plan to change much of anything,” Sona told me when I tasted the new releases at the property last summer. “All we want to do is become more consistent.” The Rieslings here have always been made without compromise. They are typically late bloomers, which is why the estate first shows their wines a year later than most of their neighbors. Not everything they make is my cup of tea, but when they hit the target it is often a bull's-eye. Perhaps for that reason, I was surprised at how approachable the 2012s already appear.