2016 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Kabinett

What do you produce as an encore for such a gem of a Kabinett as Oliver Haag rendered in 2016 under the village designation “Brauneberger”? Here is something that has become a rarity in an age of global warming: a Kabinett exclusively from the Juffer-Sonnenuhr. Predictably, the fruit was picked near the beginning of harvest, in mid-October. “The acids were strong, the must weight was 89 Oechsle,” related Haag, “and I thought, ‘You know, this could make a really special Kabinett’.” (It was sold via the annual Trier auction.) Site-typical tropicality of mango and pink grapefruit vies with northerly but very ripe pear and white peach on a heady nose as well as on a silken, glossy, subtly buttery palate, where it is joined by a hint of almond paste. Is this too lush and ripely flavored for Kabinett? The long finish strikes me as answering that question in the negative (though 20 years ago I would probably have thought otherwise), evincing as it does a delightful sense of levity, lilt and juicy refreshment, as well as transparency to a bed of slate.