Fritz Haag, Brauneberger Juffer, Grosses Gewächs, Riesling, Mosel, Germany, 2020
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Overview of the Wine
Fritz Haag whose family has been engaged in viticulture at Brauneberg since 1605, is the town's most important proprietor. Using traditional cellar techniques and careful, selective harvesting he produces Brauneberger wines that have power and elegance with fine Riesling fruit and a subtle slate background in balance with generous fruity acids. One of his ancestors was a co-founder of the Brauneberger-Juffer-Sonnenuhr vineyard site. At present, the Fritz Haag estate owns the largest and best portion of this vineyard. All sites are 100% Riesling.
A sixth-century chronicle state that the vineyards of Brauneberg were "propter vinum" (because of wine) bequeathed to Verdun, France, then an important Roman commercial center. Napoleon paid tribute to the Brauneberger wines by fixing their prices above those of all other Mosel wines. When, in 1806, the Mosel vineyard sites were divided into classes according to the quality of their wines, Brauneberg was the only name in the first rank.
Grape / Blend
Riesling
Origin
Mosel, Germany
Tasting Notes
Fritz Haag's vineyards sit along the slopes of the Brauneberger hill and the vineyards of Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr. Brauneberger, named for the light brown slate that is the dominant soil type here, faces almost entirely south which makes it a bit easier to get fully ripe Riesling in the classically cold, wet Mosel. That has changed a bit recently of course, but this is still a prized site for wines that perfectly balance finesse and power, complexity and airy drinkability.
95 Points - Wine Enthusiast (2019)
Notes of nectarine and apricot are cutting and spry in this full-bodied but vital, rejuvenating dry Riesling. Tasted young, it's gloriously fresh and fruity, etched by streaks of lime acidity and a dazzling mineral undertow. Through 2035 and likely longer, it's a wine that should gain intensity, earthen complexity and texture.
Product size: 750ml
