Musky allusions to narcissus render the Muller-Catoir 2009 Haardter Riesling Kabinett trocken reminiscent of its Gimmeldinger counterpart, but here white peach tinged with peach kernel piquancy as well as an alkaline mineral dimension lend a distinctive personality to a Riesling both infectiously juicy and at the same time slightly austerely mineral. There is a refined feel and satisfying persistence on display and 4-6 years of admirable usefulness and flavor interest can be anticipated. “Despite sporadic rain at harvest time,” notes Martin Franzen about the 2009 harvest, “cool weather kept botrytis completely at bay. Frankly,” he adds, “it was hard to make disappointing wine with raw materials of this caliber.” But it was also impossible to achieve nobly sweet results save from Rieslaner, with its notorious penchant for spontaneous desiccation even in the absence of botrytis. This is the first vintage, incidentally, for which this estate has claimed organic bona fides, and Franzen – even if predictably – claims to find additional depth in his wines thanks to that conversion. (Not that this estate has ever been anything but entirely circumspect in any use of herbicides or pesticides.)Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300