SCORE 93 POINTS Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, November 2009 By David Schildknecht

The van Volxem 2007 Riesling Volz - form the Vols, a site without single-vineyard status under Germany's wine law - exhibits a brightness and lift that go beyond those of other wines in the present collection. Fresh white peach, buddleia, iris, and mint in the nose follow onto a palate of subtle creaminess, alluring sleekness, and refined refreshment. Cooling honeydew melon tinged with mint and wafting, bitter-sweet floral perfume play dynamically against impressions of things mineral in a long, engaging finish. This outstanding illustration of a long-forgotten great site as well as of 2007 vintage potential represents the sort of stylistic balance between textural richness and vivacity to which, I believe, Niewodniczanski would be well advised to aspire, and should be worth revisiting for the better part of a decade.

Except for three that don't taste dry, this year's van Volxem bottlings weigh in at between 11.5% and 12% alcohol, and range between 5 and 18 grams of residual sugar (none however labeled "trocken," in keeping not only with with proprietor Roman Niewodniczanski's penchant for judicious residual sugar, but also his admirable attempt to de-emphasize that term). Predictably, too, no fining of any sort was performed on the musts. The top wines were as usual here not bottled until late summer. For details on the house style and Niewodniczanski's ambitions, please consult earlier reports, notably that in issue 163.