Brunnenhauschen Abts Erde Trockenbeerenauslese, Weingut Keller 2011

Rendered entirely from tiny pipless berries – albeit shriveled and in some cases under the influence of botrytis – Keller’s auction-destined 2011 Westhofener Brunnenhauschen - Abtserde Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese gold capsule is loaded with honey and caramel laced with candied lemon rind, cinnamon, and crystallized ginger. Its remarkable concentration – even more so than that of the corresponding “regular” T.B.A. – borders on the severe. At the same time, it finishes with so much sheer sweetness that for now at least, finer points or nuances are undetectable. All that noted, there is no doubt that we have here an embryonic elixir of phenomenal penetration and persistence that is likely to fascinate for another 3-4 decades. I would simply leave it undisturbed for at least the next two.