2010 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Spatlese

The Haags’ auction lot 2010 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese A.P. #14, almost unbelievably, evinces even greater delicacy and levity than the corresponding non-auction bottling, A.P. #7. Fresh lemon, pineapple and apple are concentrated to a nearly severe extent, leading to a luscious and invigoratingly bright palate impression and preternaturally persistent finish, all more than making up for anything this lacks by way of depth vis-a-vis the corresponding non-auction bottling. With time – indeed, surely over the next quarter century – owners can anticipate greater rewards. “You had to wait to pick,” comments Oliver Haag picked, “but not too late. Because after the end of October we had more rain, and by then the stems weren’t just ripe but just about shot (fertig), so that the grapes were literally hanging by a thin thread.” Different degrees of double-salt de-acidification were essayed (always on must), frequently only on certain lots of an eventual blend; but of the unabashedly residually sweet bottlings, Haag insists that only the Kabinett reflected a significant degree of de-acidification. Haag in my view quite correctly characterizes his generic bottlings as most illustrative of the vintage’s challenges and his selectively-picked residually sweet wines as being above-average ... “average” at this address, of course, having over the past several decades designated a very high quality indeed. “There were a lot of tough decisions to be made this year,” he relates. “Should we harvest this parcel or that? Pick now or later?” I share Haag’s opinion that as a group these wines will need longer than usual in bottle to really show their stuff. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. ( 800) 596-9463