Lot presentation

Riesling Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese 2007

The wine

This superb cuvée Spätlese, which literally means ‘late harvest’, is produced from Riesling grapes grown on the Juffer Sonnenuhr Grand Cru parcel. This exceptionally sunny terroir lies in a prime position, at the heart of the stoniest part of Brauneberg. The blue slate soils impart incomparable depth and freshness to this Riesling. A perfect balance of sunshine ensures the grapes reach over-ripeness, while retaining good acidity. In the winery, the grapes are vinified, without additional inputs, in stainless steel vats to retain their freshness, and in foudres (large capacity wooden barrels) to accentuate the wines’ unctuousness.
The bright colour reveals a nose combining complexity and freshness, characterised by the influence of the soils, with aromas of plum, ripe peach and mango, complemented by a remarkable vegetal freshness. The dense, creamy mouthfeel reveals luscious fruit aromas, leading to a superb finish enhanced by notes of bitter orange and a delicate salinity.

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.