Headily floral in its nose of heliotrope, verbena, and rowan, the Schonborn 2009 Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Erstes Gewachs comes to the palate expansively and lushly, with juicy pineapple fruit encountering only modest resistance from a suspiciously high 14.6% alcohol. Even the faint bit of heat present here adds a certain additional force to the piquancy of apricot kernel and toasted nuts as well as to the wines sheer fruit weight. An ashen, smoky element lends a hint of austerity. I would not plan on holding this outsized Riesling for more than 4-5 years, or at least not before having a chance to re-evaluate it along the way. The latest collection from Peter Barth and his team further demonstrates the high standards that now prevail at this venerable estate. “The window for optimal harvest seems to keep narrowing,” Barth notes, and the relatively high finished alcohol levels on this years dry Schonborn Rieslings certainly testifies to that fact, leaving the 2008s at this address with a distinct edge over their 2009 counterparts. Despite the ravages of hail in Hattenheim and Erbach – including the loss of nearly one-third of the estates anticipated crop of Marcobrunn – the number of different bottlings from that site and from the monopole Pfaffenberg is still considerable. Various importers, including Dee Vine Wines San Francisco, CA; tel. (877) 389- 9463, Slocum & Sons, North Haven, CT; tel. 203-239-8000, Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700, Winesellers Ltd. Niles, IL; tel. (847) 647-1100