Visually this wine has a medium to deep Amber color. Olfactory it has a bouquet that recalls apple must, nuts and backed apple pie. In the mouth is less filling and rich than I had expected. Sweet but not overly so, with a savour that reminds me of the apples covered in sugar that my mom used to bake in the oven when I was a child. The aftertaste is discreet, but fairly long.
This Riesling produced amongst the scenic vineyards of the Mosel is categorised as Beerenauslese, a designation in the “Prädikatswein” category of the German wine classifications. A kind of wine produced in very small quantities in selected vineyards that provide appropriate conditions.
In a country as far north as Germany, the ripeness of grapes varies tremendously and profoundly affects the types of wine that can be produced. This is the reason why in Germany wines are classified according to the sugar level in the must.
Following this logic, the wines of superior quality, named “Qualitätswein mit Prädikat” in German, are: “Kabinett” (wine of reserve quality to be kept in the vintner’s cabinet), “Spätlese” (late harvest), “Auslese” (select harvest), “Beerenauslese” (select berry harvest), “Trockenbeerenauslese” (dry berry selection), “Eiswein”.
This classification is made according to the increasing ripeness of the grapes at harvest, but does not necessarily reflect the sugar content in the final wine. This is specified by: “Trocken” (dry), “Halbtrocken” (half dry), often unofficially referred to as “Feinherb”, or “Lieblich” (sweet).
I bought this half bottle for 11 EUR directly from the winemaker while cruising the Mosel river, which gives its name to the most famous of Germany’s 13 official wine regions, the best Mosel Riesling being amongst the finest white wines in the world.
Country: Germany
Region: Mosel
Grapes: Riesling
Type: Sweet
Vintage: 2005
Producer: Weingut Haas-Lenz
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5