The 2018 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Half Bottle (375ml) is an extraordinarily rare noble-sweet Riesling from the Brauneberger Juffer vineyard in Germany's Mosel Valley, representing the very highest level of Germany's Prädikatswein classification. Trockenbeerenauslese - or TBA - can only be produced through painstaking selection of individually shrivelled, noble-rot-affected berries, resulting in tiny quantities of extraordinarily concentrated juice. Oliver Haag explained that the team searched throughout the Juffer vineyard during the entire harvest specifically for the shrivelled berries required for this wine. Brauneberger Juffer itself is a steep, completely south-facing site reaching gradients of around 70%, with weathered slate soils that store daytime warmth while the Mosel River reflects additional sunlight onto the vines.
The extraordinary concentration of the botrytised fruit produces aromas of candied lemon and lime peel, quince, Mirabelle plum and apricot preserve, layered with honey, caramel, marzipan, herbs and intense slate-derived salinity. The palate is immensely rich, creamy and viscous, yet what distinguishes this wine is its remarkable acidity: the same shrivelling that concentrated the sugar also concentrated the acidity, allowing vibrant citrus freshness and mouthwatering minerality to cut through the enormous sweetness.
Ben’s Recommendation:
At Wine More Cellars, this is an exceptional collector’s wine and one of the world’s greatest sweet wine styles. Unlike many dessert wines that rely solely on richness, Fritz Haag Trockenbeerenauslese achieves remarkable balance through its intense acidity and mineral precision, creating a wine of extraordinary elegance and longevity. This is a true cellar treasure that can be enjoyed now in tiny pours or aged for generations. Drink now or cellar confidently through to 2060 and beyond. Perfect with blue cheese, foie gras, fruit tarts, crème brûlée, washed-rind cheeses or simply enjoyed on its own as a meditation wine.
