What is long and has a shiny end?

I’ve had a few German wines over the last period of time, the quality levels of which have been very good. This is the first long gold capsule Auslese I’ve had in a while, though. I’d like some more. The wines of Schloss Lieser are made by the son of Wilhelm Haag, so there is clearly some genetic component to making top-flight wine. I suppose having access to a top vineyard in a great vintage helps a bit as well.

Riesling Auslese Lange Goldkapsel Brauneberger-Juffer Sonnenuhr 2005, Schloss Lieser

The nose is rich, dense and concentrated, bursting with ripe fruit and an incredible minerality. The ripeness is such that there are hints of lemon grass and Thai basil on the nose, but this is not a bad thing. This smells extremely stylish and highly attractive. It is not terribly botrytic, though. Never mind, I could smell this all night. I’m buggered if I am going to, though, I am going to drink it. Wow, what a mouthful! It may have real sweetness, density and power, but it sings an elegant song of complete charm and delight as it dances across my palate. The acid is just great for a wine this ripe and the finish is extraordinarily long. Its melange of complex flavours has slapped a huge grin across my face. This is a great wine by any definition of the word, and merits an f’ing triple-A rating for its obvious class and utter loveliness.

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