The Malats’ 2005 Pinot Noir Reserve exhibits a persistent juiciness that some of their 2005 vintage reds lack. Scents of leather, dried cherries, rhubarb preserves, toasted nuts, and wood spice usher in a sappy palate with equally carnal and red fruited components, leading to a salty, spicy, leathery, and slightly tart red-fruited finish with considerable but fine-grained tannins. Given this wine’s late bottling and relatively evolved aura, I wonder whether it will be a 7-10 year keeper as has been the case with some of its successors. But certainly several years of satisfaction are assured. The 2006 – due for release around now – was promisingly concentrated but comparatively rough, and possibly suffering from its recent bottling when I last tasted it.Only the two lightest of Gerald and Michael Malat’s Gruner Veltliner were harvested in October, the rest in November. “We simply had to wait for things to dry out,” explains Gerald Malat, “and to me there is a clear difference between any of the wines harvested before and those harvested after the big rains. Those harvested long enough afterward are more multi-layered.” Among the most notable characteristics of this estate is the sheer number of grape varieties with which it often succeeds. But while Gruner Veltliner and Riesling here were notable in quality this year, intensely aromatic Muskateller and Sauvignon bottlings were too brusque and coarse to merit high recommendation. A sampling of Pinot Gris from barrel was promising but will need to be re-tasted for a proper appraisal. It is good to know that the wines of this estate may soon gain wider distribution in the U.S., but due to the recent change in importers, retail prices were not yet available for any of their 2007s.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA; www.winemonger.com