Pulled from the capacious cellar of Lou and BL Kessler for the annual Cassoulet Dinner aperitif lineup:
Albert Boxler Grand Cru Sommerberg Riesling, Alsace, 2004
There’s nothing quite like Alsatian Riesling, and the Grand Cru Sommerberg from Boxler is always a standout. There must have been some significant heat in 2004, though not the furnace of 2003, because this wine was fat and full. Yet that Sommerberg minerality was there, that tight structural center, supporting the rich and silky-fat fruit, a combination of apple and, oddly but goodly, white peach. Consistently impressive wine from this family, this vineyard, this noble variety.