2015 Riesling Lieserer Niederberg Helden Auslese

Schloss Lieser’s expansion over the past three years, including a foothold in Wehlener Sonnenuhr, has been eclipsed, at least from a public relations standpoint, by Thomas Haag’s latest acquisitions: four diverse parcels in Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, plus one of two small parcels in the famed Bernkasteler Doctor whose contractual arrangements came up for renewal in late 2015. (These vines belong to a Catholic charitable institution, which leased the other parcel to Markus Molitor.) So there will be exciting new wines on which to report from vintage 2016. Haag noted, though, that all of this recent activity has still only increased his total surface area from 18.5 to 20 hectares. He reported that loose clusters and modest yields helped his fruit stay healthy through the rainy period in September 2015 and then profit maximally from the cool, clear, breezy weather that followed. Picking took place for nearly the entire month of October, with the Kabinetts as well as some botrytis-tinged Auslese coming in largely during the second week and the Grosse Gewächse during the third. “The wines are perfectly balanced,” he opined, “ripe but never fat.” (For a further comment from Haag regarding this vintage, see my general introduction to this report.) Bottling took place in May except for a midsummer session that included the long gold capsule auction Auslese and the Grosse Gewächse, of which there are an unprecedented five, Haag having promoted some of his Graacher Himmelreich to “grand cru” status. Unfortunately, he could not locate a bottle of the Juffer-Sonnenuhr Grosses Gewächs for me to taste and I did not catch up with that wine subsequently. Haag reported that half of his total volume is now in legally dry wine, and the botrytis-resistance of his vines as well as market incentives made 2015 especially suited for vinous Trockenheit. (For details about the history and methods of this estate, consult the introduction to my coverage of its 2014s.)