2007 Weingut Reinhold Haart Wintricher Ohligsberg Riesling Auslese

The 2007 Weingut Reinhold Haart Wintricher Ohligsberg Riesling Auslese is harvested from individually selected, fully overripe bunches picked late into the autumn from one of the Mosel's most distinguished vineyard sites. The 2007 vintage was one of the region's most celebrated of the decade, a warm, dry growing season that delivered exceptional ripeness across Germany's Mosel Valley while preserving the natural acidity that separates great German Riesling from the rest. For Theo Haart, this vintage was an opportunity to produce wines of genuine depth and longevity, and this Auslese from the Wintricher Ohligsberg stands as a fine example of that ambition. Weingut Reinhold Haart is a family estate rooted in the steep Devon slate terraces of the Mosel, where Theo Haart works one of the region's most respected single vineyards. The Wintricher Ohligsberg is defined by its blue slate soil, which imparts a stony, mineral backbone to the Riesling grown there. Auslese, in the traditional German Prädikat system, denotes wines made from late-harvested, fully ripe grape bunches, often with some botrytis influence, yielding concentrated sweetness balanced by the Mosel's trademark high acidity. The estate's approach emphasizes patience, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, allowing the terroir to express itself with clarity. Now approaching twenty years of age, this wine is in a compelling place. The primary stone fruit of its youth, apricot, white peach, and nectarine, has evolved into honeyed, waxy, and petrol-tinged complexity that marks mature Mosel Riesling at its most captivating. The slate terraces lend a mineral structure that keeps the considerable residual sweetness taut and focused, never heavy. The acidity runs electric through the full length of the palate, pulling the finish long and clean. Pair this with rich pâté, blue cheese, or a fruit-based dessert, though it is equally at home as the entire occasion on its own. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.