Schloss Lieser
Estate

Mosel valley
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region
Germany

Weingut Schloss Lieser was established around the turn of the century. It was one of 99 holdings under the control of Baron von Schorlemer, Germany's Secretary of Agriculture.

His ancestral seat was in his castle (Schloss) in the town of Lieser. At one time the Lieserer vineyards were quite highly regarded, but many years of neglect forced the Lieser estate to be sold in 1975 to bulk producer Meyer­Horne.

In 1987 the estate was acquired by the Prince of Saxony. Neither of these owners were interested in bringing the estate back to its former glory.

In 1992, a very successful real estate broker from Cologne, Wolfgang Reichel, acquired the estate. His goal - make wines that live up to the potential of the Lieser vineyards. As manager and cellar master he hired Thomas Haag. Thomas was a recent graduate from Geisenheim and son of Wilhelm Haag, proprietor of the Fritz Haag estate. In 1997 Thomas Haag bought the estate.

The estate is now comprised of seven hectares (17.5 acres) of vineyard which are 100% planted to Riesling. The vineyards are some of the steepest on the Middle Mosel with grades up to 70%.

The various sites are: Lieserer Schlossberg, Suessenberg and Niederberg Helden. Also in the fold are Bernkasteler Badstube, Graacher Domprobst and Himmelreich. Recently over one acre in the best portion of the Graacher Himmelreich was acquired from the estate of Willi Weins.

Thomas Haag's winemaking philosophy is quite closely aligned with that of his father. The vineyards are maintained to yield quality not quantity. Great care in selection during harvest, little handling in the cellar, reductive cellar work and no Suessreserve are standard modus operandi. Thomas wants to achieve wines that exhibit the typical Riesling character: ripe acid structure, vibrant and petillant palate, the pure expression of fruit, racy and light without sacrificing impact on the palate.

With the commitment by the new owner and his talents, this is definitely an estate that bears watching.

The Schloss Lieser Estate is a member of the VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.

Thumbnail Pictures
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owner / winemaker
Thomas Haag

Schloss Lieser estate

Niederberg Helden

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