2004 Wiltinger Kupp Riesling

Albeit in a very unorthodox fashion, Roman Niewodniczanski, whose ambitions are as tall as the man himself, has taken this estate to unprecedented heights since his family purchased the winery in 1999.He has aroused the ire of some of his colleagues by making little or no use of classical terms like kabinett and spatlese, preferring instead a hedonistic, off-dry style that is at once rich and dense and distinctly spicy-and seen almost nowhere else in the region.Indeed, in a blind tasting you might think some of these wines were from the Mittelhaardt in the Pfalz.At the same time, Niewodniczanski has resurrected sub-plots within his vineyards to designate his finest wines and uses terms like Alte Reben (old vines; and his are often over 100 years old), to distinguish between them.The 2004s are a touch drier, better balanced and more spiked in their minerality than the 2003s and confirm the emergence of this estate, which must now be counted as one of the finest producers on the Saar.(Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland, OR) Also recommended: 2004 Riesling Rotschiefer (85), 2004 Riesling (86).