2009 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Spatlese

Fresh and tangy citrus fruit with a dusty, flinty edge. Wide spectrum of fruit, from local pear and apple to more exotic mandarin and orange. Juicy rather than crisp acidity, touches of spice and minerals, fresh and firm at the same time, great structure. Excellent balance and length. (MS)

An almost gaudy sense of tropical ripeness in the nose of Haags’ 2009 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese A.P. #7 put me in mind of an Auslese. Pink grapefruit, banana, mango, and quince are tinged with caramel but at the same time laced with sufficient sense of fresh citrus to convey an element of refreshment and vivacity even on a silken-textured, lushly-rich palate, and extending into a satisfyingly long finish. This effusive entry won’t make one forget its remarkable 2008 counterpart, but it should be worth following for 15-20 years, and eventually might well show more clarity and complexity. 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.