2011 Piesporter Schubertslay Spatlese

Haart’s 2011 Piesporter Schubertslay Riesling Spatlese originated in fruit he reports ripened cheek-by-jowl with and was only marginally distinguishable from that of the corresponding Kabinett, though this stopped fermenting with higher residual sugar. That certainly demonstrates how huge an unpredictable difference can emerge from fermentation of seemingly very similar musts. Rowan, heliotrope, frangipane and pistachio extract seduce the nose; then – allied with quince jelly – inform a nutty-rich delectably sweet and florally wafting palate. While conveying less refreshment or sense of energy than some of its stable mates, this finishes with caressing, subtly creamy and wafting length. I suspect (bearing in mind that no Julian Haart track record exists) that it will continue to beguile for the better part of two decades. Young Julian Haart – for considerable background on whom, consult my report on his auspicious 2010 debut in issue 199 – possesses impressively-situated old vines in three sites, one famous and two that deserve far greater renown (which indeed they enjoyed a century ago). While total volume here is still tiny, happily, a minuscule slice of that is now allocated for the U.S.; and property in Wintrich and Piesport rented from an uncle will enable Haart, beginning in 2013, to farm considerably augmented acreage – enough to support him as a full-time wine grower. (His joint holding and bottling with Andreas Adam is reviewed as part of my coverage of the latter’s collection.) The 2011s were picked in mid to late October. Having already reached 12-12.5% alcohol and displaying pronounced fruitiness, Haart no doubt wisely felt it would have been a mistake to insist on fermenting any of this year’s “dry” bottlings further just for the sake of achieving legal Trockenheit, so they retain – but merely hint at – ten or a dozen grams of residual sugar (and in the case of the wine labeled “Ohligsberg,” 15 grams). These wines were fermented in cask or tank according to what suited their small volumes, but the recent acquisition by Haart and Adam of a Dhron cellar’s worth of additional casks in good condition means that a larger share of Haart’s wines will in future be able to ferment in wood. Importer: Vom Boden Imports, New York, NY; info@vomboden.com