Since 2015, Thomas and Ute Haag’s Weingut Schloss Lieser has farmed its own parcel in the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, one of the most renowned Riesling vineyards of the Middle Mosel. Composed entirely of steep slopes facing south-southwest directly above the Mosel River, the site is defined by medium-deep, stony soils of grey clay-slate. The comparatively high clay content in the slate gives the wines of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr greater power and richness than, for example, the neighboring Graacher Domprobst, while the warm exposure promotes complete physiological ripeness.

The Schloss Lieser Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2018 comes from a vintage along the Mosel shaped by an exceptionally long, warm, and dry growing season—described by Thomas Haag as an almost continuous summer stretching from late April to late October. Despite the warm temperatures, the vines had access to ample water reserves, while cool nights during harvest fostered aromatic definition. The grapes were extraordinarily healthy with very little botrytis. For the residually sweet wines, the vintage delivered pronounced ripeness and yellow fruit paired with gentler acidity than in cooler years.

Accordingly, Schloss Lieser’s 2018 Spätlesen are defined by the union of ripe, succulent fruit and remarkable freshness for such a warm vintage. Here, the Wehlener Sonnenuhr contributes its own unmistakable signature: peach and yellow orchard fruits meet the cool, stony spice of clay-slate. On the palate, the Spätlese feels concentrated and supple without ever turning heavy, as fine acidity balances the natural sweetness and imparts drive and length. With bottle age, subtler savory and mineral nuances emerge alongside the peach and citrus fruit—uniting the generous fruit of a warm year with the Wehlener Sonnenuhr’s hallmark mineral freshness and offering superb potential for long-term cellaring.