2012 Riesling Oestricher Lenchen Auslese

In his own idiosyncratic way, Peter Jakob Kühn has gradually established himself as one of the most serious producers in the Rheingau. His "natural" interpretation of the single-vineyard dry rieslings has always had an ardent fan club, but many critics, myself included, remain somewhat confused by a style that is so diametrically opposed to the purity of expression found in both the simple dry and certainly the noble late-harvest wines, which in 2012 were some of the finest produced in all of Germany. Wild yeasts, low sulfur, and the use of malolactic fermentation put the St. Nikolaus, Doosberg and Schlehdorn bottlings on a different, almost uncharted trajectory that resembles what is often called "orange" wine. He releases them late in order to allow them to develop in bottle, but however interesting they may be, their almost chewy texture will remain enigmatic for anyone who encounters them in their youth. (www.weingutpjkuehn.de) Also reommended: 2012 Riesling Trocken Jakobus (86), 2012 Riesling Trocken Rheinschiefer (87), 2012 Oestricher Klosterberg Riesling Trocken (88), 2012 Hallgartener Hendelberg Riesling Trocken (89), 2012 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett (86), 2012 Mittelheimer Sankt Nikolaus Riesling Auslese (92), 2012 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese (95), 2011 Riesling Trocken Schlehdorn (92).