Grapelive Daily Pick

By Kerry Winslow

***

haagtba.gif2005 Fritz Haag Brauneberg Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling TBA, Mosel, Germany.
It is a rare treat to taste Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) and this is one of the very best there is! The Haag wines never disappoint and in fact  with my high expectations they continue to amaze and surprise me, always leaving me in a hedonistic trance and with a sense of wonder. These are wines that are in themselves a special occasion, wines that bring joy and passion, wines that make you grateful and celebrate life! The 2005 Brauneberg Juffer-Sonnenuhr TBA opens with perfume and understated elegance with spicy jasmine, white citrus flowers and melt in your mouth ripe fig, before a still lively and tangy palate, and while this is a very sweet wine it has wonderful balance and vibrant grace. The mouth is rich with a light syrup over peach and pear feel with tangerine, tropical exotic fruits, honeyed apple and a solid core of apricot. There is a liquid mineral essence, a savory thickness and notes of slate, flinty spice, vanilla and candied orange rind. This is sublime and world class wine that delivers the goodness in fantastic fashion, with subtle botrytis, the “noble rot” that adds depth and character in the right conditions leaving a whiff of honeycomb. Bravo Oliver Haag and team for making such great wines, I only wish I could afford it! ($250-325 Est.) 96-97 Points, grapelive

***

By admin