2009 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Auslese GK 6

Picked out from across the Juffer over several days during the second half of the harvest, Oliver Haag’s 2009 Brauneberger Juffer Auslese Gold Capsule smells and tastes most prominently of quince and peach preserves, pink grapefruit, herbal liqueur and brown spices, the last-named being amplified in the finish, along with overtly honeyed botrytis character and bitter-sweet intensity of grapefruit marmalade. At the same time, the wine’s 9 grams of acidity contribute a slightly detached sharpness. If the acids become in time more tightly harnessed, this could take on positively electric intensity. As is, here is a remarkable exercise in brash youthfulness and botrytis concentration that deserves time in the cellar. I would revisit it in 8-10 years and tentatively expect it to be worth following at least until age 30. Oliver Haag picked from just before mid-October until November 10, and the resulting collection is most notable for stunning quality in its nobly sweet echelons, although the volume of each bottling is small (typically the equivalent of 200-300 full bottles) due to paucity of botrytis. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463.