From Germany, a vintage to remember

TASTING NOTES
The 2005 vintage is just now appearing in the U.S. market, so many wines may not yet be in stores. (All the better to start tracking them down now.)

Our recommendations were capped at the spätlese (late-harvested) quality level, but fans of auslese-quality and higher wines will find excellent examples from many of the same producers.

And nearly any quality producer offered up great wine in 2005; if you have a favorite winery not listed, you shouldn't be disappointed.

Just one small note of caution: These are young wines, some of them still muted by the sulfur used to stabilize riesling. We hit several heavily sulfured bottles. Many will benefit from a bit of time before opening; almost all will improve with age.

Standard rieslings
Karl Erbes Urziger Wurzgarten Spätlese ($19, Chapin Cellars): Honeyed and tart, with hay scents, apricot-pear overtones and a mineral firmness hidden behind. Somewhat sulfury.

Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Kabinett ($28, Chapin Cellars): Mineral-honey nose, with talc, grapefruit and warm pear. Juicy and mouthwatering on the palate, somewhat thick upfront and fine on the end.

Johann Haart Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Spätlese ($22, Chapin Cellars): The Haardt family has been established in Piesport since the 1300s, and the blue-slate Goldtröpfchen often provides slightly more tropical notes than many Mosel vineyards. Waves of citrus and nectar intersect, with a luscious finish.

Künstler Kabinett Hochheimer Reichsestal Rheingau ($22, Rudi Wiest): A stunner from the Rheingau. Still muted, but with promising mineral and diesel scents. Tastes thick enough to be a declassified spatlese, with notable sugar and a cracking whip of acidity. Heady, dense, built for years to come — an example of 2005 in its prime.

Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Kabinett ($22, Rudi Wiest): The winery's standardbearer, and it's in fine form, though still needs a bit of time in bottle. Effusive fruit flavors. Engaging and in perfect balance.

Kruger-Rumpf Spätlese Binger Scharlachberg Nahe ($19, Michael Skurnik Wines): Bit sulfury, but with firm petrol hints and tropical aromas, punched up by citrus zest notes. A juicy, happy, engaging approach, masterful and balanced, with a bit of spritz.

Mönchhof Spätlese “Mosel Slate” ($19, Rudi Wiest): Mönchhof’s classic bottling is meant to show off Mosel minerality. And that it does — firm and dieselly, with sweet apple and white peach. It’s got a nearly searing acidity, yet the weight of the fruit makes it balanced and gratifying.

Egon Müller Kabinett Scharzhofberger Mosel-Saar-Ruwer ($40, Frederick Wildman & Sons.): From this famed estate in the Saar, 2005 brought another stunning set of wines. Forceful, with gray mineral, lime and then tangerine flavors. Lingers on your tongue in a gorgeous way.

J.J. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese ($30, Rudi Wiest): Wines from this estate in Wehlen are always scarce, but its 2005s are simply stellar across the board. Scent is nougat on cool stones, with lime and warm guava. Hammering acidity in its core defines what is a profound wine with enormous long-term potential.

MORE FROM WINE

Wine Section Front

Sauvignon blanc: A perfect white for fall meals Long Island winery quickly makes its mark Spaghetti, meatballs and an $8 Italian red wine Italy’s diversity shows off in these top red wines With a chill in the air, a hearty red wine For a lunch party, crab cakes and crisp wines These lighter white wines are hardly lightweight Try this trio of top Australian red wines For the beach party, don’t forget the bubbly Give a bouquet of rosés for this Mother’s Day Wine Section Front   Add Wine headlines to your news reader: