Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Spatlese 2021

The 2011 Spatlese is intense but betrays a little more elegance than you normally expect from Helden, juicy and beautifully balanced, this offers smooth ripe but bright flavours of citrus, peach golden delicious apple and spice character with a gentle hint of steeliness that gives the wine definition and vibrancy.

The Helden has heavier soils and a little less slate content than those of the Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr, typically producing wines that are more powerful, richer and earthier.

Thomas Haag of Schloss rates the 2011s highly: "They should age very well, a little different to classic vintages because of slightly lower acidity, they are similar to 2007 but purer. It is such an elegant vintage because of the lack of botrytis."

His prime plots of land are in the top due south-facing Niederberg Helden vineyard of Lieser.

Though just a few hundred metres from his father's Brauneberg vineyards, the heavy thicker set grey/blue slate of the Helden vineyard produces heavier wines that sometimes require more initial bottle age before showing their true colours.

Rigorous work in the vineyard and microscopic attention to detail in his cellars, guarantee a consistent production of good wines in poor years and outstanding wines in great years. In fact, Thomas can regularly claim to have the Mosel's lowest yields.

Since 2004, Thomas has been exploiting some vines in the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr vineyard, given to him by his father Wilhelm Haag of the Fritz Haag estate.