We woke up that day at the Steigenberger Hotel in Bad Neunahr in the Ahr Valley, visited 3 world class winemakers in the Mosel Valley during the day and finished the day in the 2 star Michelin Restaurant Schanz in Piesport with a fine-dining dinner.
We had breakfast at the Steigenberger Hotel in Bad Neunahr in the Ahr Valley. From there we drove about an hour for our first appointment with Markus Molitor at Weingut Markus Molitor in the Mosel Valley. After lunch, we spent the early afternoon at Weingut Immich-Batterieberg with Managing Director/ Winemaker Gernot Kollmann. The third visit was at Weingut Fritz Haag, with Oliver Haag.
The visit at Markus Molitor was tasting only. At Fritz Haag and Immich Batterieberg we also visited the vineyards. All 3 tastings were most impressive.
At Weingut Fritz Haag, Oliver Haag was our host. We also run in Wilhelm Haag, the father of Oliver Haag, who is a wine legend.
Weingut Fritz Haag is quite active in the US market. It is one of the half a dozen German winemakers in the portfolio of Loosen Bros. USA. The text below is from the website of Loosen Bros. USA.
Intense, Incisive Mosel Rieslings from a Renowned Family Estate
Loosen Bros. USA: The historic Fritz Haag wine estate is located in the heart of the central Mosel River Valley. The earliest documentation of the estate dates back to 1605. At that time, the village in which it is situated was known as “Dusemond.” In 1925, this village was renamed “Brauneberg” (“brown mountain,” a reference to the color of the slate soil in this area of the Mosel) in an endeavour to further promote the reputation of its world-renowned vineyards “Brauneberger Juffer” and “Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr.”
The name “Juffer,” which translates as “old maid” in the local dialect, goes back to 1790. The proprietor of these exceptional vineyards at the time, the aristocratic Kurpfälzische Kammerherr Wunderlich, had three daughters who all remained unmarried and lived the lives of spinsters. As a consequence, when they took over the vineyard management from their father, the name “Brauneberger Juffer” was born and the wines soon became famed throughout the wine world. The vineyards are recognised as true pearls of the Mosel region and were treasured even by Napoleon.
For many years, the Fritz Haag wine estate was successfully headed by the endlessly energetic Wilhelm Haag, and achieved under his guidance a world-renowned reputation. Wilhelm Haag was the first to be named Gault Millau’s “Winemaker of the Year,” a highly coveted accolade introduced in 1994. Since 2005, his son Oliver has taken over the reins and has followed his legendary father in leading the estate into the future.
The Fritz Haag estate owns 17.5 ha of vineyards which are all exclusively planted with Riesling. The excellent micro-climate and the deep slate soils of the Brauneberg hillside yield some of the most intensely flavored and elegantly-structured Riesling wines of the Mosel region. Oliver Haag rigorously selects the clones most suited to the microclimate of his vineyards in order to achieve the maximum potential in the grapes. His wines, which display a pleasing subtle color, show a well-defined palate that reaches from honeysuckle to pears and apples. They are laced with citrus and underlying mineral tones, reflecting the slate vineyards of Brauneberg.
The Fritz Haag estate produces wines that cover the full style spectrum, starting from a dry style and ranging to lusciously sweet. A mineral “slate” character and a pronounced and fruity acidity give the wines their sleek sophistication and their great aging potential. The estate’s graceful, well-refined Rieslings are rated as impressive examples of the finest wines the Mosel region has to offer.
Interview with Oliver Haag
Wein Krake interviewed Oliver Haag earlier this year and released the interview on the web site of Wein Krake. I am re-issueing parts of the interview. For the full interview go here.
If you would make music you would probably be a rock star. What makes the wines of Fritz Haag so good?
Pop star, I don’t know… I personally do not see myself as so popular. If you refer to wine I would see our vineyard rather in the jazz scene or in the section of the good old rock bands like CCR or Tom Petty. Classic, catchy and timeless.
What makes your wines the way they are?
Precisely I’d say that it is elegance, typicity, traditional handicraft and clarity. We want light wines, precise and full of minerality which the terroir of the Moselle enables us to elaborate.
The two locations Brauneberger Juffer and Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr are world-famous. What are the differences of the stylistics of the wines?
Both location are a quiet similar in their soil composition and exposition. Only the wines from those locations have this very own character.
The Riesling from the Juffer are young, fresh and charming. But still, they show a playful side with a feminine touch. You could say that they own this pure style and that the name really fits. Juffer means damsel in the Moselle-Franconian dialect.
The wines come from the most different section of the Brauneberg. Some are in cooler locations at the mountain edge and some are located in stony and steep parts within the heart of the Juffer.
My dad always says that the Juffer of Brauneberg is the only damsel that becomes better with growing age. (chuckles)
The Juffer Sonnenuhr is in comparison a slightly warmer location. It is situated in the best location of the stony heart of the Brauneberg and its wines reflect that very well. They are deep, strong and still light-footed. You can also recognize a tighter and edgier structure in combination with rich fruit and great spiciness.
Just to understand a Riesling by Fritz Haag a bit better: Which attributes are essential?
Mostly essential is that we are a family business with a long history of which we are very proud. All our vineyards are steep slope exposed with a very high amount of blue devon slate which holds a perfect grounding for our Riesling. This unique terroir gives our wines the elegant, precise and mineral structure and shows its origin.
We have a clear separation in our quality classification and especially within predicates. Clarity is also part of the character of our wine. We want the highest possible quality and purity of the fruit, which is only possible by selecting the grapes by hand during the harvest.
Another, and also most elemental attribute is the drinking and accessibility. Wine is supposed to be fun, shared and it should mostly be drunk. Our classification from the VDP is simple, internationally understandable and reflects the origin.
When looking at the grand crus (Große Gewächse), it is the complexity that fascinates. How do the wines develop over time and after how many years are they on their climax?
The great crus become more expressive, spicier and more complex with growing age, but without losing its freshness. The special thing is the complexity of those wines. The riper they become, the more the primary fruit steps back and changes into a great juicy and ripe fruit.
Recently, we opened a bottle of 2005 Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling GG at my dad’s 80th birthday. The wine was just incredible. Still remarkable fresh, delicate and with an incredible tension and infinite facets. That is a Großes Gewächs. Only the right amount of ripeness really shows which potential these wines are able to develop.
Generally spoken, a Großes Gewächs have an amazing drinking ripeness after approximately 5 to 10 years. The Juffer Sonnenuhr needs about 7 to 12 years. But these recommendations differ from vintage to vintage.
In the end, it is a question of personal taste when to open these wines. Some people like aged wines, other’s prefer the younger facets of the Riesling.
What are the most important priorities you set regarding the wines or the brand?
Personally it was important to pursue the 400 years history and the quality thoughts of my dad. The traditional style of the Moselle wines is something timeless and will always remain relevant. Especially the fruity-sweet wines made the Moselle so popular. And why would you want to change something about that?
The dry and fine stylistics have always been part of our winery. We were able to extend and improve this segment because of all the experiences that I was able to gather at many different companies.
I am convinced that we can grow unique Riesling in all flavours at the Moselle terroir, far away from the mainstream.
Further more we grew in the last few years. And that happened in a controlled and healthy way. There have been many opportunities to buy nice steep sloped land of the Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr and around the Brauneberg.
In the past years, the procedure of production has changed. By using modern techniques, we are trying to keep the traditional handicraft and to simplify. Like this, we are able to work even more gently, sustainable and selective.
Can you give us a tipp about what we can find in your wine cellar (besides your Riesling)?
You’d find a few nice wines from some colleagues.
My favorites are, besides Riesling, Burgundy wines. For example, I really like the Pinot Noirs by Domaine Dujac from Morey-Saint-Denis or the Chardonnay by Guy Roulot. The Burgundy is an incredibly exciting region and it has so much quality to offer. In Germany it is the Pinot Blanc by the winery Wöhrle from Lahr (Baden). Not only because Markus is a university friend of mine but because his wine is just how I like it the most: clear, playful, fruity, elegant and with a bit of smoothness. Simply balanced and juicy. Year after year with plenty of flow.
The Wines we Tasted
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Riesling Trocken/ VDP.Gutswein/ Regional Estate Wines
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling Trocken/ VDP.Ortswein/ Village Wines/ Premier Cru
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Trocken GG/ VDP.Grosse Lage
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Riesling Feinherb/ VDP.Gutswein/ Regional Estate Wines
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling Feinherb/ VDP.Ortswein/ Village Wines/ Premier Cru
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Feinherb/ VDP.Grosse Lage
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling Kabinett/ VDP.Ortswein/ Village Wines/ Premier Cru
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese/ VDP.Grosse Lage
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese/ VDP.Grosse Lage
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese/ VDP.Grosse Lage
2016 Weingut Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel/ VDP.Grosse Lage
Postings: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir (Posted and Forthcoming)
Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir
Weingut Georg Müller Stiftung in Hattenheim, Rheingau: Cellar Tour, Art Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Tour with Winemaker Tim Lilienström - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Lunch, Tour of the Abbey, the Steinberg and the Steinbergkeller, with Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Schloss Vollrads in the Rheingau: Tour and Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Leitz in Rüdesheim, with Johannes Leitz – Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel, with Reinhard Löwenstein - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Weingut H.J. Kreuzberg in Dernau, Ahr, with Technical Director Albert Schamaun– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Jean Stodden, Ahr, with Alexander Stodden - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting with Markus Molitor at Weingut Markus Molitor in Haus Klosterberg, Mosel - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting and Vineyard Visit at Weingut Immich-Batterieberg in Enkirch, Mosel, with Gernot Kollmann - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany
Wining in Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley: Wine Tavern “Spitzhaeuschen”, Germany
Tasting and Vineyard Walk at Weingut Fritz Haag (VDP) in Brauneberg, Mosel, with Oliver Haag
Dinner at the 2 Michelin star restaurant Schanz in Piesport, Mosel
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany
Visit and tasting at Weingut Maximin Grünhaus (VDP) in Mertersdorf, Ruwer, Mosel, with Dr. Carl von Schubert
Visit and tasting at Weingut von Hövel (VDP) in Oberemmel, Saar, Mosel, with Max von Kunow
Tasting at Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber (VDP) in Monzingen, Nahe, with Frank Schönleber
Wine-pairing Lunch at Landgasthof Zur Traube in Meddersheim, Nahe, with Petra Hexamer and the wines of Weingut Hexamer.
Dinner with Wine Pairing the Restaurant of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Corenlia, Stefan and Georg Rumpf
Tasting at Weingut J.B. Becker, in Walluf, Rheingau, with Hajo Becker