Dr. Frank made the first Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling in the U.S. in 1962, called Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) back then, after its German model. In order to be able to make a TBA the weather needs to allow grapes to ripen on the vine until they are almost dried out and look like raisins. Noble rot also plays its role, a fungus that thrives under humid conditions but only remains beneficial if the afternoon sunshine dries off the grapes (or else the noble rot will turn into gray rot, which will spoil the wine). Noble rot, also called Botrytis cinerea, splits the skin of the grapes, causing the water to evaporate and thus create berries of incredible flavor concentration. Dr. Konstantin Frank made Bunch Select Late Harvest Rieslings in 1962, 1971, 1975, 1985, 1991 and now Frederick Frank is continuing the tradition with this stunning TBA-style Riesling from the Finger Lakes in 2008.
The grapes were hand selected, crushed and then macerated on the skins for 15 hours. They were then pressed, cold settled and filtered. The must then fermented for 60 days, was cold stabilized and filtered again and was finally bottled in December 2008.
It has a medium golden color. The nose is impressive: pronounced intensity of peach fruit, spice and botrytis. Enticing aroma of sweetness and spice. The acidity is high and provides a perfect balance for a truly exciting Riesling. Intense and concentrated peach, honey and raisin flavors, all very spicy, lasting through a very, very long length. Keep until 2050.
A fabulous sweet Riesling!