Between its 13% alcohol and palpably high extract, the Fritz Haag 2010 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Grosses Gewachs certainly delivers a formidable mouthful of wine; yet at the same time, it’s no less brightly – indeed, tartly – citric than its Juffer trocken counterpart. Lavender, clover, apple blossom, and prickly lemon rind mark the nose. A streak of salinity helps keep the finish mouth-watering. I prefer the greater levity and charm of the Juffer trocken, and I would tentatively suggest drinking this Grosses Gewachs over the next 4-5 years, though I would certainly love to be able to (and indeed hope to) taste some of the recent and increasingly numerous Mosel Grosse Gewachs with bottle age. “You had to wait to pick,” comments Oliver Haag picked, “but not too late. Because after the end of October we had more rain, and by then the stems weren’t just ripe but just about shot (fertig), so that the grapes were literally hanging by a thin thread.” Different degrees of double-salt de-acidification were essayed (always on must), frequently only on certain lots of an eventual blend; but of the unabashedly residually sweet bottlings, Haag insists that only the Kabinett reflected a significant degree of de-acidification. Haag in my view quite correctly characterizes his generic bottlings as most illustrative of the vintage’s challenges and his selectively-picked residually sweet wines as being above-average ... “average” at this address, of course, having over the past several decades designated a very high quality indeed. “There were a lot of tough decisions to be made this year,” he relates. “Should we harvest this parcel or that? Pick now or later?” I share Haag’s opinion that as a group these wines will need longer than usual in bottle to really show their stuff. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. ( 800) 596-9463

Pure and refined, this is redolent of apple tart, with shadings of slate and white pepper. Very firm midpalate, with accents of fennel and tarragon. The long finish features smoky notes, with hints of tropical fruits. Elegant and powerful. Best from 2012 through 2026. 250 cases made.??–KM??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add