Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling Kabinett 2016
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Wine &
Spirits -
James
Suckling
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Winemaker Notes
Fritz Haag goes to great lengths to make “true” Kabinett rieslings. Not de-classified Spatlese, but genuine low alcohol, delicate and ethereal Kabinett, like the old days. It takes extra work in the vineyard as the grapes must be picked early and carefully. The resulting wine is all about lace and delicacy. Pinpoint aromas and flavors of Mirabelle plum, heirloom yellow apples, quince, spring flowers and minerals.
So airy and lilting, try it with rare ahi tuna, spiced Asian chicken salad, or a rosemary pork tenderloin.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
It took two days for this spontaneously fermented riesling to lose its funk, rewarding patience with a juicy, generous wine. What started as light peach deepened into red tones; the initial austerity built into a broad, firm background of stone. A selection of fruit from both the Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr vineyards, this shows its pedigree in depth and persistence; just give it a year or two in the cellar to mellow out.
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James Suckling
Cool and delicate with a wet earth and spring flower character. This is delightful kabinett that's very easy to enjoy now, but will be great any time during the next 5 years.
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2015-
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
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Wine &
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Robert
Parker
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Wine
Spectator
A sixth-century chronicle state that the vineyards of Brauneberg were "propter vinum" (because of wine) bequeathed to Verdun, France, then an important Roman commercial center. Napoleon paid tribute to the Brauneberger wines by fixing their prices above those of all other Mosel wines. When, in 1806, the Mosel vineyard sites were divided into classes according to the quality of their wines, Brauneberg was the only name in the first rank.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Following the Mosel River as it slithers and weaves dramatically through the Eifel Mountains in Germany’s far west, the Mosel wine region is considered by many as the source of the world’s finest and longest-lived Rieslings.
Mosel’s unique and unsurpassed combination of geography, geology and climate all combine together to make this true. Many of the Mosel’s best vineyard sites are on the steep south or southwest facing slopes, where vines receive up to ten times more sunlight, a very desirable condition in this cold climate region. Given how many twists and turns the Mosel River makes, it is not had to find a vineyard with this exposure. In fact, the Mosel’s breathtakingly steep slopes of rocky, slate-based soils straddle the riverbanks along its entire length. These rocky slate soils, as well as the river, retain and reflect heat back to the vineyards, a phenomenon that aids in the complete ripening of its grapes.
Riesling is by far the most important and prestigious grape of the Mosel, grown on approximately 60% of the region’s vineyard land—typically on the desirable sites that provide the best combination of sunlight, soil type and altitude. The best Mosel Rieslings—dry or sweet—express marked acidity, low alcohol, great purity and intensity with aromas and flavors of wet slate, citrus and stone fruit. With age, the wine’s color will become more golden and pleasing aromas of honey, dried apricot and sometimes petrol develop.
Other varieties planted in the Mosel include Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), all performing quite well here.