The generic Fritz Haag 2011 Riesling feinherb is simply apple-y with distinct underlying wet stone and a satisfyingly juicy and persistent follow-through. The base wine here is virtually identical with that of the corresponding Gutsriesling trocken – they merely represent different tanks – and that shows. Apple pit and salt enhance the invigoration and saliva-inducement of this dry-tasting bottling that I would plan on enjoying within the next 3-4 years. “We started picking at the beginning of October,” relates Oliver Haag “because must weights were already high for Kabinett, but there was good acidity.” Haag pressed whole clusters rather than either crushing or permitting skin contact for his dry wines, and tended to favor a higher percentage of stainless steel for vinification and elevage because, as he puts it, “the material was all so ripe that I was worried it would come off as too opulent and voluminous.” Without question, he thereby puts his finger on a legitimate concern, and his own wines illustrate the truth that higher alcoholic volume and opulence – no matter what appears on the Riesling’s label – aren’t necessarily virtues, and in particular not in the context of this vintage. “To convey a sense of levity this year,” notes Haag, “was not so easy. Not that there was much botrytis out there,” he adds, though fortunately that fact did not deter him from rendering several spectacular ennobled wines in small volumes.Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. (800) 596-9463

Displays a touch of ripeness on the nose, with some accents of savory herb. Offers resinous notes on the finish. Drink now.??–KM??Region: Germany / Mosel Select to Add