Weingut Reinhold Haart Riesling- Cellar Releases 2016, 2012, 2007 [Was $235]

Weingut Reinhold Haart's three-bottle cellar release spans a decade of the Mosel's most expressive terroir: the 2016, 2012, and 2007 vintages from the Wintricher Ohligsberg, a Grand Cru site of ancient Devon slate above the village of Wintrich. Based in Piesport with roots in the village stretching back centuries, Theo Haart has spent decades producing Rieslings of exceptional precision and restraint, and this vertical offers a rare opportunity to taste one of the Mosel's great vineyards across three very different years and two Prädikat levels. The 2016 Spätlese arrives from a benchmark vintage defined by slow, patient ripening and superb natural balance; the 2012 Spätlese comes from a cooler, more demanding year that rewarded careful selection; and the 2007 Auslese represents one of the decade's most celebrated Mosel vintages, now approaching twenty years in bottle. Theo Haart's work on the Wintricher Ohligsberg reflects the rigor and restraint that define serious Mosel winemaking. The ancient Devon slate of the Ohligsberg imparts a signature mineral tension and electric acidity that keeps these wines vital even as they age, and Haart's winemaking emphasizes clarity and site expression over manipulation. The 2016 and 2012 Spätlese bottlings were selected for natural ripeness and purity of fruit, while the 2007 Auslese came from a vintage that allowed for concentration without losing balance. Each bottle was cellared under ideal conditions and released at a stage where the wine's evolution tells the story of both the year and the vineyard. The 2016 Spätlese is generous with stone fruit, still fresh and focused, with years of development ahead. The 2012 Spätlese is well into its drinking window, beginning to show the first signs of honeyed complexity that comes with age, leaning toward elegance and precision rather than weight. The 2007 Auslese is the crown of the trio: concentrated and deeply layered, with evolved apricot, wax, and the signature petrol notes of mature Riesling, kept vital by the Ohligsberg's characteristic mineral tension. Together these three bottles tell the story of a single great vineyard interpreted across time, ideal for pairing with roasted poultry, aged cheeses, or simply tasting side by side to understand how the Mosel ages. This is a cellar release for the patient drinker who values evolution over immediacy. Available for pickup at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, or for local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping.