Very clear on the nose, displaying tropical fruit aromas along with spicy/coolish mineral notes, the 2013 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese is delicate and medium-bodied, well balanced, piquant but slightly sweeter than the Burgberg. This makes it more juicy and almost ready to drink.

Superbly clear, precise, refined and fresh on the nose the 2012 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese with its citric nuances was made almost without botrytis but healthy shriveled berries. This is subtle, enormously delicate, finesse-full and filigreed Auslese with a lovely piquant acidity and a lingering salinity. It is great to drink this kicking Auslese today but the aging potential should be terrific too here.

Schlossgut Diel’s 2011 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese displays a smoky, spicy pungent side of botrytis, accenting mirabelle preserves and apple jelly. With creaminess and buoyancy akin to that exhibited by the corresponding Pittermannchen, this however misses by a wide measure – for now, at least – that sibling’s complexity, poise, and seductive allure. That said, we have here an impressively persistent if rather blatantly sweet finish, and over the next 20 or more years in bottle this Auslese may well show itself capable of greatness. 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

From around one-third botrytized fruit, the Diel 2010 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese offers drippingly ripe Persian melon and Rainier cherry tinged with vanilla and nutmeg in a fetching nose and succulent, subtly creamy palate that manages to remain transparent to seemingly crystalline mineral notes, while salinity adds mouthwateringly to its imposing persistence. This harmonious beauty ought to continue compelling the next sip for at least two decades. While her famous father Armin naturally continues as a trusted advisor, it is evident in conversation as well from continued adjustments in methodology that Caroline Diel is settling into her role as hands-on manager of this great estate, clearly positioning it as one of those lucky enough to receive the special benefits and blessings that can accrue to felicitous multi-generational collaboration. Selective double-salt de-acidification was performed here in 2010 – occasionally even in lots destined for residually sweet wines – and skin contact encouraged. Alcohol levels for this year’s Grosse Gewachse are in the moderate, 12.5-13% range. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The Diel 2009 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese smells almost butcher shop-like in its evocations of smoked meats and sauteed sweetbreads, though coming on the heels of such an intriguingly mineral and animal Pittermannchen Auslese, I found this less shocking than I otherwise might have. Candied lime and grapefruit peel; pear nectar, and white raisin further inform this creamily-rich, subtly oleaginous Auslese, and the sort of mouthwatering salinity and maritime mystery that has rendered a number of Diel 2009s especially alluring is present here, too. Hints of ginger as well as the aforementioned citrus rinds add invigoration to this fascinatingly multifaceted performance that should be worth witnessing for the next 25-30 years. Caroline Diel’s 2009 collection is noteworthy not only for a range of outstanding Riesling such as has long been anticipated (though seldom bettered) at this estate, but also for a set of wines from the Pinot family – all, incidentally, now labeled with French rather than German names for their varieties – that in my estimation mark a significant up-tick in quality. That this estate has been famous in Germany for its work with Pinots ever since Armin Diel assumed charge in 1987 and began barrique vinification, I am of course well aware. But only in recent years have I witnessed tendencies to restrain the influence of new wood and to encourage real subtlety, which seem to me prerequisites for achieving with these varieties anything remotely approaching the class of Schlossgut Diel’s Rieslings. The 2009 Pinots were harvested in mid-October and most of the Rieslings in the two weeks following. The superb botrytis selections were all picked-out ahead of even the Pinots. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300