Musky, smoky, and animal aromatics announce the Mann 2006 Pinot Gris Hengst, which saturates the palate with ripe, vanilla-tinged peaches; meaty, toasted nut, and subtly sauteed mushroom flavors underlying the whole. The nutty piquancy and spiciness here are both more obvious and more alluring than in the Furstentum with its elements of oak and lactic acid, and this displays the same sort of seamless, creamy richness, discreet sweetness as well as primary, juicy fruit retention which were evident in that wine, along with a wonderful sense of transparency to finishing nuances of smoke, chalk, and spice. Expect this astounding tribute to 2006 potential to flourish for at least a decade. “If you want to test a grower’s meddle in this vintage, see how he made out with Pinot Gris,” remarks Maurice Barthelme, who can indeed easily afford to issue that challenge! To say that Maurice and Jacky Barthelme are bullish on their 2007s would be an understatement, as they seem to think that this is their best collection going all the way back to the wonderful 1988s with which they debuted in the U.S. (and a number of which I am still enjoying). Since they have been among those Alsace vintners most concerned with restraining sugar accretion while promoting ripe flavors, it’s understandable that they view 2007 as having been especially welcome when compared with other very recent vintages. “In September there was just enough rain; in October no rain; November was wonderful,” comments Jacky Barthelme, “so, we had time to harvest and to select.” Barthelmes were also among those growers who sold off a portion of their 2006 crop in bulk and declassified portions into generic bottlings, but the resulting bottlings are among the finest of that vintage, for which the brothers in part – unsurprisingly – credit biodynamic preparations and fruit that could be picked ripe early. My laudatory reviews of the (for this estate typically) outstanding value Mann Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes and Pinot Blanc bottlings of vintage 2007 can be found in issue 178.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800