Richter relates that he selected out the botrytis from a rather late picking for his 2006 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, and this does indeed display a purity and refinement that many of his 2006s lack. Classic apple, vanilla, and honey are backed by a bright, lemony acidity, and tartness and residual sugar manage to balance one another in the juicy, downright bracing finish. There is a decided sense of wet stone minerality underlying this as well. It should be an excellent keeper for 15 more years, taking on some richness and further interest in the process. “My minmum must weight was 100,” says Dirk Richter, almost in tones of exasperation, rendering it hard to craft lighter-weight wines, particularly at the restrained levels of residual sugar that usually characterize his estate. Some of Richter’s dry-tasting wines had difficulty coming to terms with their alcohol, and as he was the first to admit, in 2006 this could happen even with “feinherb” wines of more than 15 grams residual sugar. He wasn’t able to get his full picking crew (mostly Poles) in place until October 10, and many of this years wines appeared to struggle with the rougher aspects of botrytis and/or the effects of having tried to remove their taint from the musts. “We ended up just leaving the grapes hanging in some parcels,” says this veteran, “which is something I have never experienced.” (Incidentally, Richter and his importer appear to have collaborated in lowering his prices in the U.S. market for this vintage, despite the weak dollar.)Importer: Langdon-Shiverick Cleveland, OH; tel. (216) 861-6800