Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Riesling, Auslese, Goldkap, Fuder12, 2011

The first wine in the Fritz Haag range this year that contains any botrytised fruit. Powerful and simply dazzling. As much as there is the nobly -rotted richness of honey, apricot jam, dried peach and nectarine flavours there is a remarkable lemon rind freshness combined with a scintillating salt and slate character. Top notch Auslese, this is expansive, multi-layered and very well balanced. Oliver Haag likes the 2011 vintage, the wines are ripe but also fairly classic "they have acidity in background that keeps them lively". The exceptional stony grey/blue slate vineyard of the Juffer in Brauneberg has soils with some of the highest slate content in the Mosel, Oliver Haag of Fritz Haag exploits the finest part of these vines, a large parcel surrounding the sun dial (Sonnenuhr). The high slate content gives wines that are some of the region's most refined, a little reserved in their youth these blossom with age and unravel into some of Germany's most moreish Rieslings.