The Haags’ generic 2007 Riesling trocken offers lilac and clover in the nose, along with lime, apple, grapefruit, and a faint hint of yeastiness (which I noticed more in late summer than when I had had opportunity to taste it very young in the spring). This terrific value is so aromatically generous that, as Wilhelm Haag puts it, “you can fill up just on the nose.” It doesn’t lack stuffing but neither does it lack delicacy. Apple pip and crushed stone compliment the flowers and generous citrus in an invigorating finish. Enjoy this over the next 4-5 years. It would be nice to see more of the dry wines from this estate in the U.S., but predictably, competition for them inside Germany is especially keen. Oliver and Wilhelm Haag have done it again, scoring consistent and sensational success throughout their range. And if 2007 cannot – like 2006 – be compared with any iconic vintage of yore (in 2006’s case, 1953) so much the more exciting. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463.

A dry, stony, somewhat neutral wine, marked by crisp acids and vaguely apple-y fruit. The crispnesss and austerity would make it a fine foil for creamy or oily fish dishes.——J.C.(10/1/2009)—— 85