FRITZ HAAG - BRAUNEBERGER Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 1986
The mellow Rieslings from Domaine Fritz Haag have been the admiration of the entire wine world for decades: for their depth, the fabulous sensation of harmony they exude, their freshness always there, even after 15 or 20 years of wine. aging, and their mineral complexity, they shine in the firmament of the greatest Moselle wines.
The 2016 vintage, with its particularly sunny late season, should mark an important milestone in the recent history of the Estate: the Grands Crus harvested late (Spätlese and Auslese) as well as the selections of noble grains (Beerenauslese) are now showing. already a constitution and a depth that will make a milestone. The guide "Eichelmann" was not mistaken, who awarded the Domaine the title of "Domaine of the year" for its 2016 vintage in semi-dry and mellow ...
We are here in the heart of the Haag family vineyard, on the Juffer Sonnenuhr grand cru plot. As its name suggests (we could translate Sonnenuhr by "sundial"), this terroir is certainly the most solar of the family vineyard: it occupies a privileged position, in the most stony and sloping part of the Brauneberg, with very deep soils. Devonian blue slates which will give the Riesling both its freshness and its extraordinary mineral depth. The very sunny conditions at the end of summer allowed the grapes to reach the over-maturity sought here, while maintaining exemplary health status.
As always at Haag, the wine is then vinified and aged, without any input, by subtly assembling different containers: stainless steel vats to keep freshness and old casks that enhance the depth and smoothness of the wine. Complexity and power: here are certainly the first two sensations that this “Sonnenuhr” gives us, assuming that we have taken the trouble to ventilate it well before, because its structure capable of withstanding decades of aging makes it today. a little austere.
The power of the soil and the sun with these notes evoking crushed stone, rubbed flint, graphite, but also ripe, almost candied pear, plum and peach, and mango. The complexity of these floral aromas, between honeysuckle and lily, and plants between chervil and tarragon, which make the whole already sophisticated and elegant. Power and complexity that we find in the mouth: at the same time creamy and light, soft and tense, fruity and very salty, unctuous and yet endowed with an astonishing freshness evoking lemon and blood orange, this wine handles contrasts and reconciles the opposites with disconcerting ease. A very great Spätlese promised to a very long and absolutely bright future!
