2011 Lieser Niederberg Helden Aulsese Lange Goldkapsel

The Schloss Lieser 2011 Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese Long Gold Capsule features nectarine, pineapple and pink grapefruit tinged with liquefied lily perfume, musk and brown spices in a manner that points toward noble, refined botrytis, although its author seeks to assure me that this came largely from tiny, healthy berries. Old-timers might well have called such an elixir a “Goldbeerenauslese” – Haag is reminded of its similarly healthy 1997 counterpart – and it’s certainly golden in more than one sense. Hints of nectarine skin and grapefruit rind lend welcome, subtly tart and piquant counterpoint on a luscious and creamy, not to mention virtually weightless palate, while a pure rivulet of fresh fruit juices and a streak of salt serve to guarantee that this remarkable libation’s prodigious persistence goes beyond mouthwatering and into the realm of mouth-agape drooling. Try to experience it soon, and again between 2025 and 2040. Thomas Haag didn’t begin harvesting until October 3 – immediately before which, he says, it was too hot – and then picked for 23 straight days. He has every reason to complement the ripe yet filigree results, a description that, happily, applies almost as much to his dry as to his residually sweet bottlings. Except for his two Grosse Gewachs – bottled in May – and a Niederberg Helden T.B.A. that was still fermenting as of last autumn, all of Thomas Haag’s 2011s were bottled already in March and April following harvest. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 596-9463