Lot presentation

Riesling Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese 2007

The wine

The Riesling vines, planted on the magnificent schist terroirs of the region, reap the benefits of sustainable agriculture. The late harvest, hence the name Spätlese which stands for "late harvest", produces fragrant, concentrated grapes. In the winery, the Riesling grapes are vinified without any oenological additives. Two thirds of the wine is carefully matured in stainless steel vats to retain optimum freshness, while the remainder is aged for several months in 1,000 and 2,000 litre foudres (large tuns) for several months, to emphasise the unctuousness of the wine. Once blended, the cuvée is meticulously bottled.
The bright colour unveils expressive aromas, stamped by the nature of the s soil and the region's sunny character. Fragrances of crushed stone and plum beautifully mingle with notes of peach, mango and fine herbs. The dense, creamy palate strikes a fine balance of rich, fruity aromas and subtle acidity, leading to a soft, saline finish.

About the Producer Fritz Haag

The Fritz Haag domaine is one of the three jewels in the German Riesling crown, alongside Egon Müller and Joh. Jos. Prüm. It is situated on the magnificent hilly terroirs of Brauneberg, in the heart of the Moselle vineyards whose elegant, crisp wines were admired by Napoleon. Ever since the 17th century, the Haag family has been producing Rieslings which German aficionados call "filigran". This adjective is used to describe wines which taste crisply incisive on the palate. Wilhem Haag began working on the domaine in 1957. His efforts were recognised by the Gault et Millau German wine guide, which awarded him the title of Best Wine Producer in 1994. Wilhem Haag has been instrumental in raising the profile of the Moselle vineyards by serving from 1984 to 2004 as President of the Grosser Ring, an association of the 31 best vineyards in the region. In 2005, Wilhem Haag’s son Oliver Haag took over the reins and focused on treating the fruit with great care from vineyard right through to vat. He takes the same approach to vinification and ageing, using a combination of stainless steel vats and oak barrels to add freshness and smoothness. The range offers an outstanding collection of magnificent dry Rieslings from grapes harvested right into the late season. For Ausleses, the cuvées are aged differently - in large barrels and bear the distinctive “goldkapsel” or golden foil capsule on the bottle.

Detailed characteristics