Reinhold Haart, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Riesling Spätlese, 2008
If you ask me to name a winemaker who has really impressed me with consistently, year for year letting the quality (let's avoid the word terroir here, shall we) of an outstanding vineyard shine, well, then I would probably name Theo Haart. Sure, there are others, but I have now tasted his late harvest Rieslings from the famous Piesporter Goldtröpfchen for the vintages 1999 and 2001-2008 (the 05 though is still sitting here, waiting for its day), and not only are they all first class wines, they are also very distinct and consistent in style. The '08 is no exception and, boring as it may sound when I write about Haart late harvest Riesling, just a lovely wine.
The nose is a lovely blend of mineral, herbs, stone fruit, notably peach, that I find surprisingly ripe, almost with a hint of fructose. That is all quite typical for these wines, as are the flowery aromas, but I find that the '08 has more citrus-sharpness than I remember from the previous vintages - by no means a bad thing, it just struck me in comparison.
In the mouth the Riesling has a lovely juiciness, again with a pleasant addition of citrus and acidity, and is very smooth in the way it blends stone fruit / peach and caramel. Again, you will find mineral and herbs, the later giving the wine a hint of 'brownish' vegetable. The long finish is very juicy and it is here that the caramel really comes into play.
If I had to choose right now I would probably say that the 2007 Spätlese left a stronger impression and I remember it having a little more depth to it; but don't let this fool you - the '08 is a highly enjoyable wine.