Brett happens

Alsace 2012, Riesling, Vignoble d’E, Domaine Ostertag ($25.25, 11459984)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Riesling from 15-odd parcels located around the winery in the commune of Epfig (whence the Vignoble d’E moniker). The manually harvested whole clusters are pressed in a pneumatic press. The long fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maturation on the lees take place in stainless steel tanks, the entire process lasting just under 12 months. 5.5 g/l residual sugar, 13% ABV.
A decidedly grapey nose with dried fern, lemon-lime and lactic notes. So sleek, so fruity and so dry. Alive with acidity. Floral overtones perfume the palate while minerals stay in the background until the finish, where granite and faintly saline chalk outlast the fruit. Lovely now and capable of ageing at least another five years. (Buy again? Gladly.)

Alsace 2010, Riesling, Grand cru Muenchberg, Domaine Ostertag ($49.00, 00739821)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Riesling from Ostertag’s 1.6 hecatres of the 17-hectare grand cru Muenchberg vineyard. The manually harvested whole clusters are pressed in a pneumatic press. The long fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maturation on the lees take place in stainless steel tanks, the entire process lasting just under 12 months. 8 g/l residual sugar, 14% ABV.
Complex, elegant and deep nose of minerals, candied lemon and pit fruit with floral and petrol notes. Not so much mouth-filling as mouth-inhabiting: richly textured, firmly structured and tightly focused yet somehow also ethereal. Layer upon layer of minerals and fruit are carried on a gushing stream of acidity that slow-fades into a nearly endless, slightly salty-sweet finish. Young and somewhat closed, though chewing the wine reveals its potential. Already spellbinding, this will only improve over the next decade or two. (Buy again? If I can lay my hands on another bottle, absolutely.)