The Pollerhof 2008 Zwiegelt Himmelreich offers a riot of dark cherry, red currant, and purple plum tinged with star anise and cinnamon; lusciously mouth-filling and satin-textured; yet harboring invigorating pungency and finishing chew. Poller says this palate-staining wine is really very close to the unadorned flavor of ripe Zweigelt berries, but that at the same time, it reminds him of a jar of spiced fruits in rum that his grandmother always had on hand for rewarding especially well-behaved children. I imagine this Zweigelt will richly reward lucky owners for at least the next couple of years – Poller did not bottle it until March of this year – and I cannot claim to have yet tasted an older example.Erwin Poller is as dedicated to his vines as any grower I have ever met, and he could chock viticulture and get rich quick by selling his proven technique for (as he puts it) “power sleeping.” The astute and dedicated assistance in recent vintages of young Florian Schuhmann (whose own venture with Poller’s assistance, Quantum Winery, is discussed separately in this report) has no doubt helped to further hone the already high quality of the Pollerhof’s wide and distinctively delicious range. (Incidentally, Poller’s $10-12 liter Gruner Veltliner typically offers one of the most incredible wine values in all Austria. But he and I met this year in the Wachau to save me travel time; and he neglected to bring along a sample of that particular 2010 to our session. The same goes for his Riesling Konigsberg.)Bill Mayer Age of Riesling Selections Imported by Valley View Wine Sales, Glen Ellen, CA; tel. (510) 549 2444; also a Monika Caha Selection, New York, NY; tel. (212) 877-3558 with various importers, including Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700
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