Picked simultaneously with and from the same old vines as the corresponding Marcobrunn Grosses Gewachs, the Schonborn 2008 Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Auslese reflects high quality, subtly yet profoundly efficacious botrytis and a picking crew's eye for it. Peach preserves, peach kernel, heliotrope, and saffron in an unforgettably beautiful aromatic display all represent typical Marcobrunn traits rather than those of noble rot per se. The creamy-rich palate evinces some sense of honey along with its concentration of peach preserves and nut paste, while at the same time practically levitating. Savory suggestions of saffron and salt as well as piquant hints of peach kernel offer counterpoint and contrast to the sweet elements, and as richly ripe as is the finish here, you wouldn't ever guess the wine harbored 110 grams of residual sugar. This nectarous beauty epitomizes the elegance possible in 2008 and the characteristics of one of the world's greatest Riesling vineyards that has unfortunately birthed far too few great Rieslings in recent years. Sock some of this classic away without further thought (or delay!) for enjoying over the next quarter century. (There are around 400 half-bottles.) Practically anything you could ask of a Marcobrunn Auslese is here except time in the bottle. An April, 2009 visit to this estate - my first in many years - convinced me of Peter Barth's seriousness and talent, and revealed many wines worthy of the great potential of the vast von Schonborn acreage. Last September, I was thrilled by an even finer collection. The number of separate and vineyard-specific bottlings here (as explained - along with other recent developments at this estate - in issue 185) is nowadays intentionally limited. Additionally, in 2008 Barth adopted a very conservative approach, essaying few nobly sweet wines, and while finding his best fruit from top parcels worthy of Erstes Gewachs bottlings, he did not render parallel Spatlese trocken bottlings from the same sites as in other recent years. -Our late start picking this year, with the first Riesling on October 17,- Barth points out, -would have been considered entirely normal 15 years ago. But honestly, by the time we started, I think more than half of the Rheingau had already been picked, a lot of that wines with green, unripe notes and resulting in wines that were then de-acidified.- Various importers, including Dee Vine Wines San Francisco, CA; tel. (877) 389- 9463, Slocum & Sons, North Haven, CT; tel. (203) 239-8000, Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700