Mocha, marzipan, caramel, peach preserves, and litchi scent the Beyer 2009 Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobles, then inform an opulent, subtly oily-textured palate, without being overshadowed by what is admittedly near-extreme sweetness. Dark honey with hints of carob and mushroom add a further dimension to this, seamless, confectionary, yet complex expression of extremely ripe and not hugely botrytized berries. This long-finishing elixir is likely to keep well for 30 or more years, so that those with patience (and the requisite longevity themselves) can expect it to pay dividends in complexity and nuance eventually as its sheer sense of sweetness begins to wane. It certainly beat the odds against profundity in its vintage. Even in 2003, Marc Beyer and his team rendered a collection true to their domaine’s principles of dryness, acid-retention, and mineral expression, while for the most part avoiding alcoholic overload or flat-footedness. So I wasn’t surprised that they considered 2009 child’s play by comparison and fielded an often excellent if variable collection. “It was a vintage where you really had to wait,” says Marc Beyer of 2008, “but the fruit kept its acidity; eventually the maturity came up to over 13 (% natural alcohol); and the wines achieved a perfect balance.” Certainly the best of them did, at least. With their tendency to express volatile esters; their often big-boned and angular architecture; and their unapologetic absence of residual sugar, Beyer wines may well strike many of today’s oenophiles and writers as an anachronism, whereas for others of us, they are like a part of the profoundly beautiful village landscapes of Alsace to which we repeatedly return with a sense of comforting familiarity and the knowledge that their slow evolution will be as reliable as their adherence to a traditional style. But that is not meant to suggest that surprises are precluded, and in fact in both 2009 and 2008 there are a number of Beyer wines the likes of which I have difficulty recalling from this address or any other.Imported by Aveniu (A.V.) Brands, Baltimore, MD; tel. (410) 884-9463
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