2008 Niederberg Helden Auslese Goldkapsel

Quince preserves laced with candied ginger, peppermint, and apple pit scent Schloss Lieser’s 2008 Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule which represents a selection of botrytis at picking and again in the press house. Strong presence of caramel and white raisin on the palate points to the noble rot but is not entirely reconciled with the pure confiture and spice that the wine displayed in the nose and that seems to want to emerge on the palate as well. The sense of almost-too-sweetness is pushed to the limit here, and the finish – while impressively long – is very much dominated by botrytis under which the fruit itself is practically blanketed, a phenomenon unusual for 2008. Of course, it’s early days for a wine apt to live 35 or more years, but this is one Schloss Lieser 2008 I would want to re-visit mid-term before making the effort to cellar any. “A danger in so many recent vintages”, says Thomas Haag, “was that growers told themselves ‘I need a Kabinett; I have to have Kabinett; I must pick sooner!’” whereas this year, Kabinett was assured, even assuming you waited long enough to do justice to vintage potential. Haag is one of numerous growers who subscribe to the notion that (in his words) “the mix of weather in 2008 was ideal, guaranteeing permanently adequate humidity of the soil, so that mineral matter was released and could be taken up into the vines, as you can plainly taste.” And given his penchant for finesse, clarity, and delicacy, as well as for high residual sugar that demands efficacious acids to balance, it’s not surprising Thomas Haag has a high opinion of 2008. Indeed, his collection is among the vintage’s best. Haag essayed some selective picking for Beerenauslese, but like many growers decided that what he had collected was better declassified, especially in view of how spoiled we have been by botrytis in recent years and how tough are the present economic circumstances. Due to time constraints and the unusually extensive range of nobly sweet wines here, Haag and I did not take time to taste his two trocken offerings, whose absence from the U.S. market made it subsequently impossible for me to corral. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463