Bottled last August, the Diel 2010 Pinot Noir Cuvee Caroline is the most elegant, and best showcases inherent Pinot virtues of this cuvee’s exemplars that I have tasted. Tart-edged and pit-inflected cherry mingles with red meat and mushroom stock, bacon and sage, for a satisfyingly juicy and mouthwateringly Umami-rich experience in which (for once!) the wood – now down to one-third new – serves merely as framing. The one area where this slightly disappoints is in its lack of textural allure; but then, the rather glassy, hard-edge impression I received (though I can’t say it’s inconsistent with impressions of previous vintages) might be attributable to the recent bottling. Expect merit for the better part of a decade. Caroline Diel is now the mother of two, but shows every intention and indication of personally staying on top of her estate’s viticulture. In collaboration with long-time cellarmaster Christoph Friedrich, she is both perpetuating and further refining the styles of wine that have come to characterize and enhance the long-standing reputation of Schlossgut Diel. Picking began in the last week of September and most of the top Rieslings were harvested already in the first week of October, by which point there was a significant amount of botrytis, happily largely noble, most of it picked-out in parallel with the fruit for the Grosse Gewachse. Wisely, I think – as heaven knows they have an austere side as is – the Diels elected for the sake of moderating alcohol to leave a bit more residual sugar behind this year than usual in their Grosse Gewachse. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300