The 2004 Gimmeldinger Schlossel Rieslaner Spatlese smells intriguingly, indeed rather improbably of coconut, bacon wrapped figs, cocoa powder, and roasted, caramelized root vegetables. The desiccation of fruit in the absence of botrytis that is typical for this variety is reflected in a compressed, though undeniably dense palate presence. The deep cocoa and caramelized vegetable notes persist as a pedal point while smoked meat, herbal essences, and suggestions of citrus fill in the higher registers. All the while there is a certain overt sense of shriveled berries hanging about this wine. Since the arrival of young Mosel-born Martin Franzen at this great estate so long associated with the wisdom and artistry of Hans-Gunter Schwarz’s 36-year tenure as cellar master, I have been struck by a degree of qualitative continuity and stylistic affinity with the ancient regime that other commentators seem not to have noticed. In a very real sense, the legacy of Schwarz – “activism in the vines, minimalism in the cellar” – has seeped indelibly into the fabric of nearly every top winery in the Pfalz. How then could it be otherwise precisely at Mandelring #25? And although Franzen and a largely new team were forced, to a considerable extent, to rediscover the keys to these vines and sites, they are the same vines and sites so carefully tended, trained and conscientiously replanted over the past decades by the then team of Catoir and Schwarz. In 2004, Franzen has unlocked from them astonishingly numerous and improbably fine vinous treasures such as one has come to associate with the name “Muller-Catoir” in the nearly four decades since a very young Heinrich Catoir inherited this estate and decided to make a statement.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300