2010 Riesling Sommerberg

I can't think of any Alsace domain, or even one in Italy for that matter, that has done a more radical 360 with its wines in recent years than Domaine Schoffit. Gone are the ultra-opulent, generally sweet wines (even when you were expecting them to be just off-dry) of only ten years ago. They have largely been replaced by high-acid, taut, laser-like offerings that in a vintage like 2010 seem that much steelier. Indeed, these were some of the palest and perceptibly most acidic wines I tasted during my trip, strong evidence that grape maturity is no longer being pushed as it was in the recent past. "In 2010, we made our smallest production ever," Bernard Schoffit told me. "Between 2000 and 2010 there were plenty of bad years: 2003, 2004 and 2006 weren't especially memorable, but since 2007 things have gone well, and 2010 is one of the greatest Alsace vintages of all time." I found all of the wines to be very fresh and food-friendly, although the late harvest wines are still decadently sweet and creamy. Schoffit's VTs, however, are almost always the product of intense passerillage rather than the result of a true late harvest. In other words, when the sugar level has reached the minimum required for vendange tardive, that's when Bernard pulls the trigger. For those who aren't particularly enthusiastic about strong noble rot overtones, Schoffit's sweet wines may be just what the doctor ordered. Also recommended: 2011 Pinot Gris Tradition (86), 2011 Pinot Noir (85), 2011 Pinot Tradition (86), 2010 Riesling Harth Tradition (86).